Jeonbuk Province Seeks Future of 'Jeonbuk-style Bio Industry' in Boston, USA

Confirmation of Collaboration Program Linking Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Innovation Institutions, and Companies

Governor Kim Visits Global Pharmaceutical Company Moderna to Discuss Cooperation Plans

Jeonbuk Province announced on the 13th that it has embarked on finding future opportunities in the bioindustry, which it plans to focus on to realize its vision of becoming a global bio-economy city, in Boston, the center of the U.S. bioindustry.

According to the province, Governor Kim Kwan-young and the delegation visiting the U.S. thoroughly examined related companies, innovative research institutions, and industry-academia cooperation programs in Boston, where a bio cluster has been formed in the U.S., on the 12th (local time), seeking cooperation plans with each institution and company.

On the 12th (local time), Kim Gwan-young, Governor of Jeonbuk Province, visited Moderna, a global pharmaceutical company in Boston, USA, to explore future opportunities in the province's bioindustry.
[Photo by Jeonbuk Province]

Boston is the heart of the U.S. bioindustry, with 19 out of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies located there. More than 1,000 biotech research institutions are concentrated in the area, earning it the nickname "the most innovative square mile on Earth," and Korean companies are increasingly expanding their presence.

Governor Kim first visited the Mechano Biology Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and discussed global research trends with world-renowned scholar Professor Roger D. Kamm. They discussed plans for a cooperative system between the province and MIT, encouraging the signing of a global joint research cooperation memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Jeonbuk National University and MIT.

At LabCentral, which has emerged as a successful startup model after 10 years, they explored cooperation on advanced management know-how that supports companies with innovative technologies by providing shared laboratory facilities, office spaces, and industry-academia network activities, seeking ways Jeonbuk should support and nurture bio companies.

They visited Moderna, a global pharmaceutical company that rose rapidly by showing a ray of hope with the new bio technology "messenger RNA (mRNA)" during the worldwide outbreak of the acute respiratory infectious disease COVID-19, and met with Patrick Bergstedt, Executive Vice President, among others.

During the meeting, they discussed the development direction of the pharmaceutical industry, including vaccines and new drug development to prepare for future pandemics, as well as the attraction of bio-specialized complexes, which Jeonbuk considers a key task.

Governor Kim said, "The bioindustry is being promoted as a new future growth industry at the national government level in South Korea," adding, "Jeonbuk Province is also striving to attract bio-specialized complexes as a key challenge to foster future growth industries."

He continued, "Jeonbuk has a concentration of various bio research institutions and is promoting the training of highly skilled technical personnel," and expressed hope for regular exchanges, cooperation, and investment with Jeonbuk Province.

In addition, the delegation received a briefing on the main operations of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Industrial Liaison Program (MIT ILP), which boasts over 70 years of history and has established itself as a mecca for fostering startups in various industries such as bio, artificial intelligence (AI), and energy through industry-academia cooperation, and exchanged opinions on innovation and startup support.