Wando County Begins Establishing Five-Year Plan for Marine Bioindustry Development

Expert Forum on "Full Utilization of Seaweed"

Wando County in South Jeolla Province announced on August 29 that it held the "4th Marine Bioindustry Development Committee Meeting and Forum" at the Wando Marine Healing Center on August 28 to lay the foundation for industry development.

The meeting was attended by Wando County Governor Shin Woochul, as well as representatives from South Jeolla Province, the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, the Korea Food Research Institute, and 22 experts from related organizations, companies, and academia.

Wando County held the "4th Marine Bioindustry Development Committee Meeting and Forum" at the Marine Healing Center to lay the foundation for industry development. Photo by Wando County

At the meeting, the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) reported on the progress of establishing the "2026-2030 Wando County Marine Bioindustry Five-Year Basic Plan." This was followed by a presentation on "Securing Infrastructure for Full Utilization of Seaweed" and an expert discussion session.

Jang Deokhee, Director of the Future Strategy Research Center at the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, stated, "Infrastructure is needed to industrialize and recycle resources from the second cut (stems, leaves, etc.) generated after the primary processing of seaweed." During the discussion, participants shared opinions on building a cooperative system among marine bioindustry facilities, establishing regional linkages, and securing infrastructure for seaweed utilization.

Son Younggon, Head of the Fisheries Distribution and Processing Division at South Jeolla Province, said, "South Jeolla Province operates a Startup Investment Support Center to promote entrepreneurship in the marine bio field and will pursue tailored support for companies." Lee Sanghoon, Principal Researcher at the Korea Food Research Institute, emphasized, "With the enforcement of the Green Bio Promotion Act, it is necessary to establish a legal foundation for the marine bioindustry as well."

Governor Shin Woochul stated, "We will actively gather diverse opinions on the upcoming five-year plan for the marine bioindustry to establish differentiated policies unique to Wando. By building and operating a nationwide supply base for marine bio materials, we will take the lead in the successful industrialization of the marine bioindustry."

Meanwhile, in July 2020, Wando County became the first basic local government to enact the "Ordinance on the Promotion and Support of the Marine Bioindustry," thereby establishing the foundation for the related industry.