First Step in Training Bio-Process Specialists... K-NIBRT Program Launches

Starting in 2024, the goal is to train over 2,000 personnel annually

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute announced on the 6th that they held an opening ceremony for the K-NIBRT (Korean version of NIBRT) education program at the Underwood Memorial Library on Yonsei University International Campus. NIBRT is a program that trains bio-process production specialists through an educational course operation contract with the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training in Ireland.

The opening ceremony began with an opening address by Ha Yeon-seop, Vice President of Yonsei University International Campus and head of the K-NIBRT project team, followed by congratulatory remarks from Darin Morrissey, CEO of Ireland's NIBRT, a keynote speech by Lee Kang-ho, Director of the Health Industry Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and an introduction to the curriculum by Jeong Jin-hyeon, Director of the K-NIBRT Education Center. Officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Incheon Metropolitan City, Korea Health Industry Development Institute, Incheon Technopark, and the K-NIBRT project team attended the event offline, while about 70 people, including 48 first-generation students of the vaccine specialization course, participated online.

K-NIBRT is a bio-process workforce training project jointly promoted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Through a contract with Ireland's NIBRT, practical training is conducted in a manufacturing quality management standard (GMP) training center similar in scale to actual bio-processes. A total of 60 billion KRW will be invested by 2025, and from 2024, when the bio-process workforce training center currently under construction is officially opened, more than 2,000 personnel will be trained annually.

Upon completion of the training, participants receive a certificate equivalent to having completed Ireland's NIBRT program. This is the first time such an internationally recognized bio-process education program is being operated domestically.

The K-NIBRT education program is broadly divided into a vaccine specialization course and an antibody drug course. The vaccine specialization course is part of the government's recent global vaccine hub strategy, aiming to train 120 experts in messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine processes by the end of the year. Starting from today, four sessions of theoretical (3 weeks) and practical (5 weeks) training will be conducted.

Through the antibody drug course, a non-degree program will be conducted from November 22 to train 120 bio-pharmaceutical production specialists, with a total of about 240 personnel to be trained this year. In 2022, the plan is to train about 300 personnel, including 120 in the vaccine specialization course and 180 in the antibody drug course.

The target trainees are those who have graduated from junior colleges or higher, or possess equivalent qualifications, including job seekers and those currently employed. The theoretical education is provided free of charge, and selected trainees will be provided dormitory facilities at Yonsei University. Applications and registrations for the 2nd session of the K-NIBRT vaccine specialization course will be accepted until the 15th of this month.

Lee Kang-ho, Director of the Health Industry Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, “For the bio-industry to continue growing, the training of specialized personnel is most important. In particular, through the K-NIBRT vaccine specialization course, we expect to train internationally competitive vaccine experts who will play a key role in Korea’s global vaccine hub strategy.”

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