"BCI and Gene Therapy Investment Needed"... Bio Experts Propose to National Policy Committee

Presidential Policy Committee Holds High-Tech Bio Technology Meeting to Gather Private Sector Input
Proposals for Industrial Transformation Using AI and Synthetic Biology
Emphasis on Full-Cycle Support Systems and Regulatory Innovation Roadmap

Yonhap News Agency

Experts have suggested that the government should proactively invest in innovative technologies that could transform the landscape of the bio industry, such as brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and gene and cell therapies. BCI refers to technology that directly connects the brain’s electrical signals to computers or robots to control devices.

On the afternoon of July 22, the Economic Division 2 of the Presidential National Policy Planning Committee held a 'High-Tech Bio Technology and Industry Experts Meeting' to discuss various measures for fostering the advanced bio industry with private-sector experts.

Ten private-sector experts from fields such as AI bio, synthetic biology, regenerative medicine, and next-generation bio participated in the meeting. From the National Policy Planning Committee, planning committee member Hwang Jeonga and other members of Economic Division 2 were present.

The participants stressed the urgent need for strategic government investment in technologies like BCI and gene therapy that have the potential to reshape the industrial landscape. They also proposed leveraging artificial intelligence and data technologies to reduce the cost and risk of bio research, and transitioning petroleum and chemical-based industries to bio-manufacturing through synthetic biology.

Additionally, participants pointed out that cross-ministerial collaboration and a full-cycle support system are essential for new drug development, infectious disease response, and advanced medical device development. There was also a call for expanding global joint research, supporting startups and technology exchange to commercialize research outcomes, and establishing a regulatory innovation roadmap that presents regulatory scenarios for each field.