Kyungnam University RISE Project Group Signs Agreement to Globalize High-Functional Tongyeong Individual Oysters

Northeast Asia English Cooperative Corporation and HNA Bio
Take the Lead in Building a Global Fisheries-Bio Convergence Model

The RISE Project Group of Kyungnam University signed an industry-academia collaboration agreement at the Chuangjo Hall with Northeast Asia English Cooperative Corporation and HNA Bio to develop high-functional Tongyeong individual oysters.

Group photo of the signing ceremony.

The agreement, signed on January 7, aims to foster individual oysters, a representative seafood product of Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, into a high value-added food product with global market competitiveness. The goal is to establish a convergent industry-academia cooperation model by combining the capabilities of the regional fisheries industry, the bio industry, and the university's research expertise.

Northeast Asia English Cooperative Corporation is the first company in Korea to successfully cultivate individual oysters. Unlike the traditional method where oysters cluster together, the company uses a technique that cultivates each oyster individually near the water's surface, producing high-quality oysters with superior size, texture, and flavor.

This technology has already been recognized for its national competitiveness, having been selected as an outstanding case in the "Korea Aquaculture Productivity Innovation Cases" hosted by the Presidential Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Policy. HNA Bio is a bio company specializing in the production of immune functional raw materials.

Through this agreement, the participating organizations will collaborate to develop high-functional seafood products by incorporating immune functionality into individual oysters. To achieve this, they agreed to cooperate on comprehensive research and industry linkage support, including: full-cycle monitoring and production facility optimization for individual oysters; sharing trends in advanced individual oyster production technologies; consulting and building networks for production facility certification; joint technology development in the bio and machinery fields; joint use of research and equipment; and establishing marketing strategies.

Choi Sunwook, Head of the RISE Project Group, stated, "This agreement marks an important starting point for Gyeongnam's local specialties to evolve into globally competitive industries by combining the university's research capacity with corporate technological expertise. Kyungnam University will continue to grow alongside local industries through the RISE Project and fully serve as a global industry-academia cooperation hub that actively supports companies advancing into the world market."