Korean Today Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province opened a bioprinting artificial organ commercialization support center at the Pohang Knowledge Industry Center on the 28th, establishing a foundation to support the industrialization of the advanced regenerative bio field. This center is expected to play an important role in establishing Gyeongsangbuk-do as a center of the advanced regenerative bio industry.
The opening ceremony was attended by approximately 100 people, including Yang Geum-hee, Vice Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do Economic Affairs, Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang, Lee Chil-gu, Planning and Economic Committee Member of Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Assembly, Pohang City Council members, and industry-academia-research officials. The event consisted of progress reports, congratulatory speeches, tape cutting, and center tours, and was held as a place to solidify the will to develop the industry.
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[Korean Today] Pohang City Opens ‘Bioprinting Artificial Organ Commercialization Support Center’ © Reporter Park Jeong-hee |
The center was established through the ‘Bioprinting-Used Animal Replacement Testing Evaluation Platform Construction Project’ selected in the Smart Specialization Base Construction Project Competition of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in 2022. Of the total project cost of 16.5 billion won, 6.2 billion won was invested to construct the center on an area of 1,400.8 m2 within the Pohang Knowledge Industry Center. Major facilities include GMP facilities for manufacturing bioprinting artificial organs, cell and gene therapy quality analysis, and tissue engineering research laboratories.
Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, has established a foundation for the development and commercialization of bioprinting technology with POSTECH, Pohang Technopark, and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology. POSTECH was in charge of developing artificial organ application technology and animal replacement testing and evaluation, Pohang Technopark was in charge of building commercialization facilities, and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology was in charge of standardizing bioink materials.
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[Korean Today] ‘Bioprinting Artificial Organ Commercialization Support Center’ Opens in Pohang © Reporter Park Jeong-hee |
The center will serve as a core platform for the industrialization of advanced regenerative biotechnology. Through this, it will support the development of advanced regenerative biotechnology such as cell and gene therapy and tissue engineering products, and help companies smoothly commercialize their technologies and develop products.
Yang Geum-hee, Vice Governor for Economic Affairs of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, said, “In a situation where the number of people waiting for organ donation in Korea has exceeded 50,000, the existing donation system has its limitations,” and added, “We will promote the development and industrialization of artificial organs to contribute to the development of the national advanced regenerative bio industry and the fostering of future industries in the Gyeongsangbuk-do region.”
Gyeongbuk was selected as a specialized bio-national advanced strategic industry complex (Andong, Pohang) in June of this year, and is expanding from the existing vaccine and biopharmaceutical industries to advanced regenerative medicine and biopharmaceutical industries. The opening of this center is part of this strategy and is expected to bring about significant changes to the local bio industry ecosystem.
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[Korean Today] ‘Bioprinting Artificial Organ Commercialization Support Center’ Opens in Pohang © Reporter Park Jeong-hee |
The global regenerative medicine market is expected to grow to approximately USD 127.7 billion (KRW 178 trillion) by 2030. In particular, cell and gene therapies are expected to grow by an average of 18.3% annually to approximately USD 97.3 billion (KRW 136 trillion) in 2033, and artificial organs are expected to grow by an average of 7% annually to approximately USD 44.5 billion (KRW 62 trillion).
In order to respond to this growth potential, the government has enacted the ‘Act on Safety and Support for Advanced Regenerative Medicine and Advanced Biopharmaceuticals’ and is spurring industry development through the Advanced Regenerative Bio 2025 Development Strategy. Gyeongsangbuk-do and Pohang plan to lead the advanced bio industry with the opening of this center and contribute to strengthening the regional economy and national competitiveness.
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