Ministry of Health and Welfare Holds Policy Forum on Establishing a 'Bio Workforce Training Hub'

International Vaccine Institute, WHO, and Academic and Industry Leaders
Policy Discussion for Advancing Global Vaccine Hub

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] On the 22nd, the Ministry of Health and Welfare held a discussion with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), academia, and representatives from leading companies on the "Establishment Plan for a Bio Workforce Training Hub to Leap Forward as a Global Vaccine Hub."

This policy forum was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Association for Public Administration at the Yeosu Expo Convention Center in Jeollanam-do.

At the forum, Kang-ho Lee, Head of the Global Vaccine Hub Promotion Team at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, presented on "Korea's Global Vaccine Hub and Bio Workforce Training Hub Strategy." This was followed by presentations from Baek-lin Sung, Professor at Yonsei University and Head of the Vaccine Commercialization Technology Development Project Group; Pascal, Head of the Tropical Diseases Research Department at the World Health Organization (WHO); and Christina, WHO mRNA Technology Transfer Hub Program Manager.

Subsequently, Jerome Kim, Secretary-General of the International Vaccine Institute, chaired the policy discussion. Nine participants, including Kwang-seok Ahn, Professor and Director of the Seoul National University Virus Research Institute, and Barun Kim, Vice President of SK Bioscience, took part in the discussion.

Additionally, the forum is expected to review various strategies for the successful establishment of the bio workforce training hub, including educational programs for training technicians, managers, and bio instructors, strengthening regional bio-manufacturing know-how and workforce development, and mRNA vaccine approval and distribution plans.

In a video greeting, Ki-il Lee, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "By establishing a global bio workforce training hub early, Korea aims to contribute to resolving global vaccine inequity as an international leader and establish itself as an international hub for the vaccine and bio industry."

Earlier, Korea was solely designated as a "Global Bio Workforce Training Hub" by the WHO in February. Accordingly, starting this month, three training programs are being conducted for a total of 510 people, including 370 vaccine and bio production personnel from low- and middle-income countries and 140 domestic personnel. These include practical training in bio production processes and basic education on quality control of vaccines and biopharmaceuticals.

The WHO Bio Workforce Training Hub is a designated site that provides training on vaccine and biopharmaceutical production processes to supply personnel to vaccine production bases. As the global COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for regional vaccine production, the WHO is establishing regional vaccine production hubs worldwide through facility construction and technology transfer.

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