Kakao Healthcare Joins Forces with Large Hospitals... Launches Research Collaboration Network

Support for Clinical Data Standardization and Federated Learning Between Hospitals

Kakao Healthcare announced on the 23rd that it has launched a 'Research Alliance' with major domestic medical centers and university hospitals to conduct technology-based global healthcare research utilizing big data and artificial intelligence (AI).

Kakao Healthcare announced on the 23rd that it has launched a 'Research Alliance' in collaboration with major domestic medical centers and university hospitals to lead global healthcare research based on technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence (AI). Jo Dosang, Head of the Data Business Group at Ewha Womans University Medical Center; Lee Kyungjae, Head of the Management Strategy Department at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center; Park Hongseok, Director of Medical Intelligence Information at Korea University Medical Center; Lim Junseok, Director of Digital Health at Yonsei University Medical Center; Cha Woncheol, Head of the Digital Innovation Center at Samsung Seoul Hospital; Kim Changhyun, Head of Planning at Hwasun Jeonnam National University Hospital; Kim Jahye, Director of the Medical Information Department at Chonnam National University Hospital; and Hwang Hee, CEO of Kakao Healthcare. (From left)
Photo by Kakao Healthcare

The Research Alliance includes Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, Korea University Medical Center, Samsung Seoul Hospital, Yonsei University Medical Center, Ewha Womans University Medical Center, Chonnam National University Hospital, and Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital. Kakao Healthcare will provide technical support.

According to the principle of open innovation, hospitals willing to participate can join without restrictions and exchange data and technology. Furthermore, the autonomy and independence of hospitals are guaranteed for all research regardless of the collaboration target or form, including intra-hospital research, inter-hospital research, and research between hospitals and companies.

Kakao Healthcare verified stability and security through pilot studies with some participating hospitals earlier this year. Through these studies, it was confirmed that large-scale federated learning is possible without exporting data outside the hospitals and that it offers greater effectiveness than existing big data research methods.

Kakao Healthcare will participate as a technology partner to support research and the implementation of precision medicine. Specifically, it plans to provide global standardization technology for hospital healthcare data, AI and machine learning-based analysis systems, federated learning, and generative AI-based natural language processing technology. Additionally, it will build a big data-based AI research platform and promote research collaboration with global companies.

A hospital official who attended the signing ceremony stated, "The Research Alliance will help promote innovation in the medical field and find the best approaches for personalized patient care, and we expect it to have a positive impact on precision medicine-related research at medical centers."

Hwang Hee, CEO of Kakao Healthcare, said, "Through this agreement, we expect to support hospitals' digital transformation in the short term and create various social added values in the mid to long term, such as activating clinical research, improving medical quality, and innovating medical technology. As a technology company, Kakao Healthcare will play a pivotal role by promoting collaboration with global IT leading companies such as Google Cloud and continuously creating opportunities for global research."

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