A Total of 14.5 Billion KRW Invested, Including 5.25 Billion KRW in National Funding
Cell-Cultured Food Industry Cluster to Be Fully Launched
Uiseong-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, has been finally selected for the ‘Food Tech Research Support Center’ project organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, positioning itself as the hub of the domestic cell-cultured food industry.
According to the county on the 3rd, with this selection, the county has secured a total project cost of 14.5 billion KRW, including 5.25 billion KRW in national funding, and plans to accelerate the development of the advanced food industry.
The Food Tech Research Support Center is an infrastructure focused on supporting the cell-cultured food sector, which is considered a core of the next-generation food industry, and is one of the ‘Top 10 Core Food Tech Technologies’ selected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in 2023.
Food Tech is an innovative industry that provides sustainable future food solutions through the convergence of Food and Technology.
Since being designated as a cell-cultured food regulatory free zone by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups in April last year, the county has actively worked to attract related companies. In particular, through this public project, a support system has been established to solve issues such as the introduction of expensive equipment and quality control problems faced by companies. The close cooperation between the county and related companies resulted in the achievement of final selection.
The Research Support Center will be built within the Uiseong Bio Valley General Industrial Complex, with a total floor area of 2,663㎡ (approximately 800 pyeong) and three floors, and the project will be carried out over three years from 2025 to 2027. The main project contents include ▲ establishment of food cell-cultured system equipment ▲ preparation of prototype production facilities ▲ commercialization support ▲ and training of specialized personnel.
Gyeongbuk Technopark, which participated from the project planning stage, will operate the center and plans to create an industrial ecosystem linked with the cell-cultured food regulatory free zone project.
Additionally, in April, a culture medium production plant, an essential material for cell culture, is scheduled to be completed within Uiseong Bio Valley, which is expected to create a synergy effect where not only related companies but also material and equipment companies grow together.
Kim Jusu, the mayor of Uiseong-gun, stated, "Through the establishment of the nation’s first cell-cultured food Food Tech Research Support Center, we will strengthen the overall competitiveness of the industry and lay the foundation to lead the global market," and added, "I thank the companies and institutional officials who worked together on this project."
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