World's Largest Expo 'BioUSA', K-Bio Also Participates

Bio Association to Operate Korean Pavilion and Host Various Side Events
Including a Dialogue with Professor Robert Langer

The Korea Bio Association announced on the 4th that it will jointly operate the Korea Pavilion with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) at the '2023 BIO International Convention (BIO USA 2023)' to be held in Boston, USA, from the 5th to the 8th of next month, and will hold various side events including a dialogue with Robert Langer, Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The 2022 BIO International Convention (BIO USA) is being held at the San Diego Convention Center in the United States.
[Photo by Lee Chunhee]

BIO USA is the world's largest comprehensive bio convention, attended by more than 8,000 companies from 65 countries worldwide. Among the approximately 13,000 visitors last year, Korean visitors ranked second after the United States, indicating growing interest domestically as well.

This year's convention theme is 'Stand Up for Science,' which aims to highlight the value of bio technology. Various exhibitions and conferences will be held, covering not only the introduction of advanced therapeutics and core technologies but also the current business status using these technologies, policy outlooks, and issues related to the human resources necessary for technology development.

The Korea Bio Association and KOTRA have operated the Korea Pavilion at BIO USA annually to promote Korean bio companies and the industry. This year, 16 companies and institutions were selected for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's government-supported overseas exhibition project. In addition to exhibition and promotion within the Korea Pavilion, various activities such as separate Korea Pavilion partnering meeting support, overseas network discovery, and arranging meetings with overseas investors will be promoted.

This year's Korea Pavilion participating companies include ▲Kangstem Biotech ▲Nettarget ▲Medica Korea ▲Medipick ▲Mepsgen ▲Bionex ▲Biotoxtech ▲IGEN ▲SN Bioscience ▲ST One ▲Woojung Bio ▲UbioLogics ▲Intron Biotechnology ▲GenuineTech ▲Protina

A total of 15 companies will exhibit and introduce their bio technologies and products, and the Chuncheon Bio Industry Promotion Agency will participate to support the promotion of companies based in Chuncheon.

A view of the Korea Pavilion booth at the 2022 BIO International Convention (BIO USA) held last June at the San Diego Convention Center, USA.
[Photo by Korea Bio Association]

In addition, to build overseas networks and activate business for domestic bio companies including those participating in the Korea Pavilion, various side events will be held during the exhibition period as part of the association's bio company global expansion support program called ‘Global Mingle’.

On the afternoon of the 7th, a side event jointly held with KOTRA, ‘Korea Biotech Partnership 2023,’ will feature a dialogue with Robert Langer, founder of Moderna, discussing the strengths and prospects of Korean bio companies. Following this, there will be IR presentations by domestic companies on issues essential for collaboration with overseas Contract Research Organizations (CROs), with U.S. venture capital (VC) investors participating as panelists.

Moreover, together with MSD (Merck) in the U.S., there will be a tour of the Boston Cancer Research Institute and an open innovation program to build networks with the business development department. There will also be a breakfast meeting with the French Healthcare Association, including Sanofi and Pasteur, and a roundtable on ‘Supply Chain Stabilization in the Bio Sector,’ a follow-up to the Korea-U.S. Bio Association MOU signed during the presidential visit to the U.S. late last month.

Hwang Juri, Head of Exchange and Cooperation at the Bio Association, said, “This year’s BIO USA will be a place where many Korean companies participate, and at the same time, the demand from various overseas companies, including multinational pharmaceutical companies, to collaborate with the Korean market and companies is higher than ever. We will provide all possible support so that domestic companies can utilize this opportunity to create many chances for overseas expansion, collaboration with overseas partners, attracting foreign investment, and exporting technology abroad.”

Information on various side events and the Korea Pavilion at BIO USA 2023 can be found on the Korea Bio Association website, the official Korea Bio Association newsletter, and the association’s social networking channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn).