Uiseong County Launches Cell-Cultured Food Regulation-Free Special Zone... Aiming to Become a Future Food Tech Hub

Uiseong Bio Valley Industrial Complex to Receive 20.8 Billion KRW Investment
Pilot Projects for Cell-Cultured Meatballs, Tteokgalbi, and More to Be Launched

Uiseong County in North Gyeongsang Province has begun to actively pursue the cell-cultured food industry, aiming to secure a leading position in the future food sector.

On June 1, Uiseong County announced that it held a kick-off meeting for the 'Cell-Cultured Food Regulation-Free Special Zone' project at the Uiseong Cell-Cultured Industry Support Center on May 28, marking the official start of the project.

The kick-off meeting was attended by more than 40 participants, including officials from North Gyeongsang Province, Uiseong County, Gyeongbuk Technopark, and representatives from nine companies participating in the special zone project, demonstrating strong interest in the initiative. The meeting proceeded with a report on the current status of the cell-cultured food regulation-free special zone, sharing of demonstration project plans by participating companies, and a discussion on the project's direction and development strategies.

In May, Uiseong County received designation from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups for the 'Uiseong Bio Valley General Industrial Complex' in Cheolpari, Uiseong-eup as the 9th regulation-free special zone. As a result, a total of 20.8 billion KRW will be invested over two years starting in 2025, including 12.9 billion KRW in national funding, 6.1 billion KRW in local funding, and 1.8 billion KRW in private investment.

The project will focus on collecting and sourcing livestock-derived cells to develop and demonstrate cell-cultured products such as meatballs, tteokgalbi, and chunk meat. Through this, the county aims to obtain regulatory exemptions for necessary technology demonstrations and lay the groundwork for commercialization.

Kim Jusu, Mayor of Uiseong County, stated, "The designation of this cell-cultured food special zone is a decisive opportunity for Uiseong County to lead the future food tech industry," and added, "We will successfully implement the special zone project to not only revitalize the local economy but also become a key hub in the biofood industry."

Uiseong County plans to use this special zone as a foundation to build an advanced biofood industry ecosystem and establish a sustainable industrial base.