Global Health Leaders Gather in Seoul to Discuss "Medical Innovation for All"

"World Bio Summit 2025" to Be Held at the Shilla Hotel Seoul on September 17

Health ministers and vice ministers from around the world, heads of international organizations, CEOs of vaccine and biotechnology companies, and experts are gathering in Seoul to discuss global health agendas, including medical artificial intelligence (AI), aging populations, and bioclusters.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), will host the "World Bio Summit 2025" under the theme "From Innovation to Access: Medical Innovation for All" on September 17, 2025, at the Shilla Hotel in Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul.

The World Bio Summit, which began in 2022, is an international event founded on the consensus regarding the need for global solidarity to respond to health crises and promote human health. This year marks the fourth summit, held in conjunction with the APEC High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy (HLMHE), which concluded the previous day. The summit will address detailed topics such as the future of medical AI, aging and medical technology, and biocluster innovation, exploring strategies for medical innovation.

The event will begin with opening remarks from Minister of Health and Welfare Chung Eunkyung and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, followed by congratulatory speeches from international organization leaders and country representatives, including Mustapha Ferjani, Tunisia's Minister of Health, and Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat.

Subsequently, a panel discussion moderated by Bumseok Seo, CEO of Lunit, will feature participants such as Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid; Penny Shakespeare, Deputy Secretary of the Australian Department of Health; Kay Tye, Professor of Neuroscience at King's College London; and Christian Lodese, Head of North Asia Pharmaceuticals at Johnson & Johnson. They will seek diverse solutions to promote and globally disseminate medical innovation.

Session 1, titled "The Future of Medical AI: Global Collaboration and Sustainable Innovation," will focus on management systems and policies for AI in healthcare, as well as the current state and future of medical AI service technologies. Speakers include Park Kidong, Director of Data Strategy and Innovation at WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO); Cha Wonchul, Director of the Digital Innovation Center at Samsung Medical Center; and Ran Balicer, CIO of Clalit Healthcare Services in Israel. The session will introduce international governance for medical AI and current clinical applications, and discuss the global community's role in building a sustainable medical AI ecosystem.

Session 2, under the theme "Aging & Medical Technology: Dignified Senior Life and Innovation," will feature Lee Yunhwan, President of the Korean Gerontological Society; Masaki Emiko, Principal Health Specialist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB); Park Hyungsoon, Professor at KAIST; Morikuni Tobita, Professor at Juntendo University in Japan; and Kim Minyoung, Professor at Bundang CHA Hospital. The session will examine trends and prospects in Age-Tech, which combines AI and robotics for aging societies. It will also review international standards and policy environments for healthy aging and explore innovative models for aging societies that integrate biotechnology and digital technology.

Session 3, titled "Bioclusters: Innovating Bio-Ecosystems Beyond Regions and Borders," will include Yoonhee Choi, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade; Steven Cho, former Senior Vice President at Novartis; Hansik Han, Director of the AI Research Center at the Milner Therapeutics Institute, University of Cambridge; and Shin Kawamata, Distinguished Professor at Kobe University's Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation. They will discuss sustainable development strategies for bioclusters, global cooperation measures, and tailored strategies for cluster advancement that consider national characteristics.

During the event, there will be 13 side events in the form of seminars organized by public institutions and international organizations, including the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Unitaid, the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B), and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI). In addition, 11 business booths will be operated by international non-profit organizations and biotechnology companies.

Minister Chung Eunkyung stated, "Today, the world faces the critical challenge of pursuing both innovation and equity in healthcare amid rapid advances in AI and cutting-edge biotechnology. The Korean government, together with the WHO, will continue to promote 'medical innovation for all' so that everyone worldwide can benefit from advances in healthcare technology, overcoming geographical and socioeconomic barriers."