Seeking Strategies for Food Security and Future Industries
Aiming to Become a Hub for Cell Culture Food
Uiseong County in Gyeongbuk has embarked on a full-scale initiative to secure a leading position in the future food industry.
Uiseong County in Gyeongbuk has embarked on a full-scale move to secure the future food industry through the cell culture food forum.
Uiseong County announced on June 12 that it co-hosted the "2025 Cell Culture Food Forum" on June 9 together with the Seoul National University World Food Tech Emergence Center and the World Food Tech Council.
The forum was held at the Marronnier Hall of the Hoam Faculty House at Seoul National University, bringing together domestic and international experts in the cell culture food sector to share industry trends, policy directions, and strategies for building a robust ecosystem.
The forum was divided into two sessions. Session 1 covered the latest trends in the cell culture food industry, global commercialization cases, and corporate technology development strategies. Session 2 featured in-depth discussions on issues such as domestic regulatory improvement tasks, directions for policy support, and ways to expand the role of local governments.
The forum was attended by a large number of representatives from industry, academia, research, and government, including Lee Kiwon, professor at Seoul National University and co-chair of the WFTC; Jung Ildoo, CEO of Simple Planet; Lee Heejae, CEO of Seaweed; Lee Joongu, professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology; Kim Eunmi, director of Gyeongbuk Technopark; and Ra Yeonju, leader of GFI Asia. These participants delivered presentations and engaged in discussions.
They emphasized that "cell culture food is a next-generation technology capable of simultaneously addressing global challenges such as reducing carbon emissions, securing food sovereignty, and innovating future food cultures." They also unanimously agreed that "a national-level mid- to long-term development strategy and a collaborative system between the private sector and local governments are urgently needed."
Cell culture food refers to technology that produces meat, seaweed, dairy products, and more by culturing cells without the need for livestock slaughter or crop harvesting. Recently, commercialization and investment in this sector have been actively expanding, particularly in the United States, Singapore, and Israel.
Kim Jusu, governor of Uiseong County, stated, "Over the past decade, Uiseong County has steadily laid the groundwork for the cell culture food industry as a future strategic business. Through this forum, we will actively work to establish a collaborative ecosystem with domestic and international experts, aiming to make Uiseong County the central hub of the cell culture food industry."
Meanwhile, Uiseong County plans to drive the advancement of the regional industrial structure and lead the future of Korea's food industry by providing comprehensive support for research and development, nurturing specialized talent, attracting companies, and responding to regulations.
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