Pohang City Progresses Smoothly in Establishing Biohealth Ecosystem as a Future Innovation Hub

Key Government Project Achievements: Establishment of POSTECH Medical School and Designation of Bio-specialized Complex in Full Swing

Secured 144.5 Billion Won in National Funding Over 2 Years... Mayor Lee: "All-out Efforts to Secure Unrivaled Biohealth Competitiveness"

Pohang City is accelerating the establishment of a biohealth ecosystem, achieving remarkable results such as being selected for government-funded projects and securing large-scale national funding in the 'biohealth industry,' which it has been steadily fostering as a future core industry.

At the Pohang Saemaeul Association Leaders Conference held last December, participants performed a presentation expressing their hope for the establishment of POSTECH Medical School.

According to the city, over the past two years, 11 key government projects in the biohealth sector from ministries such as the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries have been selected, resulting in the acquisition of 144.5 billion KRW in national funding.

Building on these achievements, the city is accelerating national-level projects such as the upcoming designation of a 'bio-specialized complex' and the establishment of the highly prioritized 'POSTECH Medical School,' striving to leap forward as the next-generation 'bio mecca.'

Among the major selected projects, representative examples include the 'Green Bio Venture Campus Construction Project' (total project cost: 35 billion KRW, national funding: 16.2 billion KRW), which is set to begin construction in September this year, and the 'Marine Bio-Medical Demonstration Research Center Construction Project' (total project cost: 31.4 billion KRW, national funding: 15 billion KRW), scheduled to start next year.

In particular, the 'Bio Future Technology Innovation Research Center (IRC) Project' (total project cost: 57.8 billion KRW, national funding: 48.8 billion KRW), selected by the Ministry of Science and ICT in September last year, aims to establish a 'global research hub' for gene and cell therapy technology development. Pohang achieved the distinction of being the only city selected in the advanced bio sector among the 12 national strategic technologies.

The background for these project selections lies in Pohang City's solid R&D infrastructure.

In addition to being a national research facility and the only '3rd and 4th generation synchrotron radiation accelerator' in Korea, Pohang boasts the most 'cryo-electron microscopes' (four out of a national total of 18) among single local governments, which were used in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine 'Moderna.' The city is also home to the 'Membrane Protein Research Institute,' the third of its kind globally after Germany and the United States, and the 'Green Vaccine Demonstration Support Center,' the nation's first plant vaccine commercialization facility. This rich bio infrastructure is recognized as a unique strength that raises expectations for future project selections.

Based on this infrastructure, the city is making all-out efforts for the upcoming designation of the national high-tech strategic industry complex 'bio-specialized complex' and the establishment of 'POSTECH Medical School,' which will contribute to fostering the biohealth industry and innovating regional healthcare. The city plans to secure solid competitiveness and capabilities so that the biohealth industry can lead Pohang's future growth in all directions.

Mayor Lee Kangdeok stated, "We are making every effort to secure unrivaled competitiveness and superiority in the explosively growing biohealth industry," and added, "Through the establishment of POSTECH Medical School and the designation of the bio-specialized complex, which will be the hallmark of Pohang's differentiated bio ecosystem, we will launch the signal flare for the creation of a 'Korean-style Boston Bio Cluster' by mobilizing all our capabilities."

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