Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority and Songdo Universities "Fostering Bio Industry"... Yonsei University Industry-Academic Cooperation Complex to be Completed Next Year

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority and universities in Songdo International City, including Yonsei University, have united their efforts to foster the bioindustry.

On the 2nd, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority announced that it held the '2024 Songdo-based University Networking Day' event at the Songdo Kyungwonjae Ambassador Incheon, hosted by the Industry-Academic-Research Cooperation Complex Project Group of Yonsei University Institute of Convergence Science and Technology.

This event was organized to listen to the current status and promote communication and cooperation related to the 'University-based Industry-Academic-Research Cooperation Complex Development Project,' which aims to nurture innovative bio companies through university-led bio cluster establishment and open innovation.

The '2024 Songdo-based University Networking Day' event is being held on the 2nd at Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon in Songdo.
[Photo by Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority]

Attendees included Yoon Won-seok, head of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority; Han Kyun-hee, director of the Yonsei University Industry-Academic-Research Cooperation Complex Project Group; and representatives from 10 universities with campuses in Songdo, such as Yonsei University, Inha University, University of Incheon, and Ghent University. The event proceeded with presentations on successful cases of the Hanyang University ERICA Industry-Academic-Research Cooperation Complex Project Group, current status and success stories of university bio-related industry-academic-research cooperation, and a free discussion session.

Currently, a project is underway to establish an industry-academic-research cooperation complex by attracting companies and research institutes on idle land within Yonsei University Songdo Campus. After remodeling and facility construction, 24 companies have moved in since 2020, and an additional 11 companies are planned to be attracted by next year.

Participants agreed that since the attraction of Celltrion in 2002, followed by Samsung Biologics and SK Bioscience, leading domestic bio companies have gathered in the Songdo bio cluster, propelling Songdo to become a global bio hub. They concurred that this event should serve as an opportunity for local universities to meet frequently, communicate, and explore development plans.

Director Yoon stated, "We plan to focus support on infrastructure development such as the K-Bio Lab Hub and the Bio Process Workforce Training Center, as well as startup cultivation." He urged, "In order for the Incheon Free Economic Zone to seize opportunities within the changing global value chain of the bioindustry, local universities should exchange technological information and network to seek mutual development."

On the 2nd, at the '2024 Songdo University Networking Day' event held at Gyeongwonjae Ambassador Incheon in Songdo, Yoon Won-seok, head of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (center front), Han Kyun-hee, director of the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation at Yonsei University (third from the left), and university-industry cooperation officials within Songdo International City are taking a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority]