Gwacheon·Gwanggyo... Pharmaceutical and Bio Companies Newly Establishing R&D Bases

JW, Kwangdong Pharmaceutical, Anguk Pharm, etc.
New Nest in Gwacheon Knowledge Information Town

Boryung Research Institute and Sillajen Move to Gwanggyo
R&D New Facility Construction and Expansion

Domestic traditional pharmaceutical and bio companies are emphasizing their research and development (R&D) capabilities by relocating their headquarters and research facilities. Among them, an increasing number of companies are settling in Gwacheon-si and Gwanggyo New Town in Gyeonggi-do.

JW Gwacheon Building in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do.
[Photo by JW Choongwae Pharmaceutical]

JW Group moved its headquarters last month to the 'JW Gwacheon Building' located in Galhyeon-dong, Gwacheon Knowledge Information Town, Gyeonggi-do. The building has a total floor area of 35,557㎡, with 11 floors above ground and 4 floors underground. It is twice the size of the existing JW Tower located in Seocho-dong. The five floors named 'Pioneer Town' (3rd to 7th floors) house the research personnel of JW Pharmaceutical’s new drug, formulation, and raw material research centers, which had been scattered until now, along with other group companies. JW is developing various innovative new drugs through its self-developed chemistry and bioinformatics-based data science platforms, 'CLOVER' and 'JWELRY.' Additionally, through the research software 'Cynthia,' introduced earlier this year via a business agreement with Germany's Merck Life Science, JW expects to significantly enhance its synthetic research capabilities. They also plan to establish the Gwacheon new building as a 'Smart Lab' by introducing automated raw material synthesis robots.

As pharmaceutical and bio companies relocate their headquarters and establish R&D centers in Gwacheon, the city is becoming a hub for pharmaceutical and bio companies. Anguk Pharmaceutical is constructing a new building in Gwacheon Knowledge Information Town with 14 floors above ground and 6 floors underground, scheduled for completion in the second half of the year. Kwangdong Pharmaceutical is also moving its headquarters from Seocho-gu to this location, aiming to complete a building with 15 floors above ground and 6 floors underground by the second half of 2024. All these companies are building new headquarters to secure growth engines through synergy by integrating their headquarters and research institutes. Huons has also decided to move its existing research-related facilities from Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, to Gwacheon Knowledge Information Town and is constructing an R&D center, with construction ongoing and targeting completion in May next year. Kyungdong Pharmaceutical, Anguk Pharmaceutical, and Il Sung Shin Yak are also relocating to Gwacheon.

Pharmaceutical and bio companies are also settling in Gwanggyo New Town, which spans Suwon and Yongin cities. Boryung relocated its central research institute from Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, to Gwanggyo, Gyeonggi-do, and held an opening ceremony on the 15th. Boryung established the new central research institute responsible for R&D to build new facilities and enhance research efficiency. A Boryung official explained, "We relocated to Gwanggyo after comprehensively considering the building’s location and space utilization." Along with the relocation of the research institute, Boryung recruited Lim Jong-rae, former head of product development at Chong Kun Dang, as the head of R&D to strengthen its R&D capabilities.

ShinlaGen also moved its new drug development research institute from Pangyo, Gyeonggi-do, to the Gwanggyo Knowledge Industry Center. This was due to the need to expand the research institute following an increase in pipelines and R&D personnel. Upon relocating the research institute to Gwanggyo, ShinlaGen integrated R&D personnel and facilities scattered across Pangyo, Busan, and other locations into Gwanggyo to expand and streamline operations. The size of the Gwanggyo research institute is reportedly about twice that of the previous Pangyo research institute. Prior to this, SD Biosensor signed an agreement with Suwon City in July last year to establish a 'Global R&D Center' including its headquarters and R&D center in Suwon Gwanggyo District and decided to relocate its headquarters there.

An industry insider said, "From a company’s perspective, gathering previously scattered research personnel together can create synergy effects such as collaboration," adding, "Since multiple companies’ R&D centers are located together, exchanges among research personnel can also be expected." The insider further noted, "It seems that incentives such as tax benefits offered by local governments to encourage companies to relocate have also had an impact."

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