Bio Association Partners with IrisLab to Build Ecosystem Dreaming of a 'Korean-Style Lab Central'

On the 13th, the Korea Bio Association announced that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IRIS LAB, which operates a shared laboratory, on the 12th to collaborate on discovering promising bio startups and supporting their growth.

At the signing ceremony held at the Iris Lab headquarters in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, Lee Seung-gyu, Vice Chairman of the Korea Bio Association (left), and Kwon Soon-min, CEO of Iris Lab, are posing for a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Korea Bio Association]

Through this agreement, the two organizations have agreed to serve as a central hub providing tailored programs necessary for early-stage bio startups, including corporate establishment, operations, experimental equipment and research space, investment, and networking with industry-academia-research-hospital sectors, to help these startups successfully settle in the market.

The Korea Bio Association plans to jointly develop and operate bio startup support programs based on its existing bio academy and startup nurturing programs. It also aims to actively cooperate in establishing a business foundation for the successful entry of overseas bio companies into the domestic market. IRIS LAB maximizes research efficiency and promotes the growth of domestic and international bio startups by providing customized bio research and development (R&D) infrastructure through the first privately-led shared research facility in the metropolitan area that it operates.

Lee Seung-gyu, Vice Chairman of the Korea Bio Association, stated, “The revitalization of the domestic bio industry ultimately begins with early-stage bio startups that possess competitive ideas. Creating and supporting an ecosystem where these companies can grow well in the early stages can serve as a cornerstone for strengthening international competitiveness.” He added, “We will do our best to discover and nurture promising bio startups together with IRIS LAB, which already has abundant experience and infrastructure.”

IRIS LAB, the first private shared research facility in the metropolitan area, is a platform that provides integrated solutions for the revitalization of the bio industry and the sustainability of bio companies. Currently, a total of 13 companies, including US bio company OncoPep, AccuriBio, PortugaBio, NanoMedicine, DCN Bio, BioLinks, and SimplePlanet, are housed there. Recently, it has been registered as an accelerator and is also making direct investments in early-stage bio startups.

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