Incheon to Establish Asia-Pacific's Largest Pharmaceutical Expert Center... Opening in 2024

Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Welfare Decide to Proceed with Incheon City and Yonsei University
Construction Starts in 2021, Opens in 2024... Training Over 2,000 People Annually

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government has decided to establish the largest bio-pharmaceutical process and development expert training center in the Asia-Pacific region in Incheon City and Yonsei University.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 15th that the consortium of 'Incheon Metropolitan City - Incheon Technopark - Yonsei University' was finally selected as the project operator.

The two ministries have been promoting the 'Bio Process Workforce Training Center Construction Project' and the 'Korean-style NIBRT (National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training) Project' because the industry has raised concerns about the shortage of specialized bio-pharmaceutical personnel supply.

To enhance project efficiency, the two ministries decided to jointly promote the project. Approximately 60 billion KRW will be invested over six years until 2025.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Incheon City will establish practical training facilities compliant with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards for excellent pharmaceutical quality control.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and Yonsei University will introduce and operate the curriculum of Ireland's advanced bio-pharmaceutical process and development training institution, NIBRT.

NIBRT is an institution that conducts numerous contract and joint research production process projects for global pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, educating about 4,000 people annually.

Starting next year, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Incheon City will actively proceed with the construction of the center on the Yonsei University Songdo Campus site. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and Yonsei University plan to begin pilot education by recruiting instructors, training, and securing temporary classrooms.

The center is expected to be completed in 2023. Once officially opened in 2024, it is anticipated to produce about 2,000 bio-pharmaceutical process and development experts annually.

Seong Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, "Through this project, we will cultivate and supply specialized personnel who understand the entire bio-process (culture-purification-finished product-analysis) and have practical experience in a stable and sustainable manner, laying the foundation for the domestic bio-industry to grow globally."

Park Neung-hoo, Minister of Health and Welfare, stated, "The government will establish a systematic process and development expert training system through this project," adding, "We expect Korea's bio-pharmaceutical process and development curriculum to become a new global standard."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.