HLB Group and KAIST Enter Comprehensive Partnership for Bio-Medical Technology Development

On the 16th, HLB Group signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement (MOU) with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) focused on joint research for the development of treatments for intractable diseases such as anticancer drugs and Parkinson's disease, as well as the discovery and commercialization of new natural product-derived substances.

The signing ceremony was attended by key figures including KAIST President Kwang-Hyung Lee and HLB Group Chairman Yang-Gon Jin.

The partnership between the two institutions was established following HLB's acquisition of 'HLB Neurotov,' a faculty startup company at KAIST. They set a shared goal to advance the bio-medical industry and contribute to improving public health and quality of life.

HLB has built a close cooperative relationship by reinvesting in KAIST technology through the purchase of 11,200 shares of HLB Neurotov and agreed to collaborate on mutual professional personnel exchanges as well as national research projects.

HLB Group plans to utilize KAIST's excellent technology, personnel, and intellectual property (IP) to support the activation of campus startups, thereby strengthening open innovation by discovering and investing in innovative companies and securing promising technologies.

Chairman Yang-Gon Jin of HLB Group stated, "The cooperation between the two institutions will be a significant milestone in the technology development of HLB Neurotov, which is developing treatments for representative intractable brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease and dystonia." He added, "We will grow HLB Neurotov into a successful campus startup model, share the success experiences and know-how, revitalize KAIST's startup ecosystem, and create a virtuous cycle where open industry-academia investment in innovative technologies actively occurs."

KAIST President Kwang-Hyung Lee explained, "KAIST and HLB plan to actively cooperate jointly in the development of bio-medical technologies such as treatments for cancer and degenerative brain diseases through this agreement." He continued, "HLB will introduce and invest in KAIST's advanced bio-related technologies, share bio-business innovation know-how with KAIST startups, and prepare together for the future bio-medical era."

KAIST recently established the 'Graduate School of Convergent Bioscience' and the 'Graduate School of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine' programs under the College of Life Science and Technology to provide education and research in advanced bio-technology fields. Through comprehensive cooperation with local governments and new drug development companies, KAIST is contributing to the advancement of the bio-medical sector.