Development and Advancement of Artificial Organ Manufacturing Technology, Enhancing National Biohealth Industry Competitiveness
Chronic and Rare Intractable Disease Patients... Expectation for Realization of Customized Regenerative Medicine
On the 28th, Pohang City held an opening ceremony for the ‘Bioprinting Artificial Organ Commercialization Support Center’ at the Pohang Knowledge Industry Center within the Pohang Convergence Technology Industrial Complex, leading the development of global bioprinting artificial organ technology.
The opening ceremony was attended by Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang, Yang Geum-hee, Deputy Governor for Economy of Gyeongbuk Province, Kim Il-man, Chairman of the Pohang City Council, Jang Jin-ah, Director of the POSTECH Bioprinting Artificial Organ Application Technology Center, and over 100 industry-academia-research stakeholders. Following the introduction of the center and the plaque unveiling ceremony, attendees toured the bioprinting artificial organ manufacturing facilities and wished for the successful operation of the center.
The Bioprinting Artificial Organ Commercialization Support Center is part of the Smart Specialization Foundation Project supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. It was selected in the 2022 national government public project and established with a total investment of 16.5 billion KRW (7.5 billion KRW from the national government, 2.7 billion KRW from the provincial government, and 6.3 billion KRW from the city government).
The bioprinting market is a core sector of the future bioindustry, expected to grow rapidly at an average annual rate of 16.1%, expanding from 2 billion USD in 2022 to approximately 6.4 billion USD by 2030. Utilizing 3D printing, it reproduces the complex three-dimensional structures of tissues and organs, attracting attention as a versatile technology for artificial organ manufacturing and patient-customized medical devices.
Starting from this opening ceremony, the center plans to lead the advancement of artificial organ manufacturing technology, provide technical support for pharmaceutical and cosmetic performance evaluation, and promote joint technology development among industry, academia, and research institutes. It will also establish a mid- to long-term roadmap for fostering the bioprinting industry, driving innovation in global bioprinting artificial organ manufacturing and production technologies.
Additionally, the center is expected to lead the spread of bioprinting technology by supporting the development of promising bioprinting-related products, nurturing specialized core talent in bioprinting, supporting companies through industrial infrastructure utilization, and strengthening cooperative networks.
Mayor Lee Kang-deok stated, “The opening of this center marks an important starting point for the commercialization of bioprinting artificial organ technology that will lead innovation in the future advanced regenerative medical industry. We will become a leading city in the national biohealth industry by realizing patient-customized regenerative medicine for chronic and rare incurable diseases.”
Pohang City, based on differentiated infrastructure and excellent core talent such as the global new drug research institute ‘Cell Membrane Protein Research Institute’ and the advanced bio (cell and gene therapy) technology innovation hub ‘Bio Future Technology Innovation Research Center,’ was selected as a national advanced strategic industry ‘Bio Specialized Complex’ in June. The city is securing a key driving force for the development of the bio and vaccine industries and taking the lead in the proactive creation of a bio-cluster.
Mayor Lee Gang-deok of Pohang, Deputy Governor Yang Geum-hee of Gyeongbuk Province for Economic Affairs, Chairman Kim Il-man of the Pohang City Council, Director Jang Jin-ah of the POSTECH Bio-printing Artificial Organ Application Technology Center, and industry-academic-research officials wished for the successful operation of the center. Photo by Pohang City
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