Korean CDMOs Target Asia's Largest Bio Exhibition During Chuseok Holiday

Samsung Biologics and Lotte Biologics
to Join Bio Japan
Showcasing Korea's Manufacturing Strength

Samsung Biologics and Lotte Biologics will both participate in "Bio Japan 2025," which will be held in Yokohama, Japan, from October 8 to 10 during the Chuseok holiday period. As Asia's largest bio-pharmaceutical exhibition, this event will bring together more than 1,100 companies and over 18,000 participants from around the world, serving as a global industry platform. It is expected to mark a turning point for Korean CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) companies as they actively pursue entry into the Japanese market.

According to industry sources on October 1, Samsung Biologics, which has participated in the exhibition for three consecutive years since 2023, will set up its own independent booth for the first time this year. The company plans to highlight its differentiated capabilities, including the world’s largest production capacity (784,000 liters), the recently completed Plant 5 (180,000 liters), and a dedicated production facility for antibody-drug conjugates (ADC). In particular, leveraging the opening of its Tokyo sales office, Samsung Biologics aims to expand its network with local pharmaceutical companies, increase its market share among the global top 20 pharmaceutical companies, and secure new customers within the top 40.

Lotte Biologics will pursue global partnerships by emphasizing its 'Dual Site' strategy, which connects its bases in Songdo, South Korea, and Syracuse, United States, along with its proven competitive quality. Having recently completed the topping-out ceremony for its Songdo Campus 1 and initiated the establishment of a full-scale production system, the company plans to highlight its position as an optimal partner with a stable supply chain in line with the North American reshoring trend. On the final day of the event, October 10, CEO Park James will lead a seminar titled "Pharma's Next Frontier: CDMO Strategies & the Growing Market for Next-Gen ADCs," sharing strategies for addressing the next-generation antibody-drug conjugate market. With the recent completion of the Songdo-Syracuse dual supply system, Lotte Biologics intends to increase opportunities for collaboration with global big pharma by focusing on quality standardization and minimizing production risks.

This year’s Bio Japan is hosted by the Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA) and covers the entire spectrum of the industry, including biopharmaceuticals, regenerative medicine, and digital healthcare. Amid the restructuring of global supply chains and rising demand for next-generation therapeutics, Japan is strengthening its position as a manufacturing and clinical hub in Asia. The Japanese government is making advanced regenerative medicine, gene therapy, and digital health core pillars of its national growth strategy and is actively attracting global companies through regulatory easing and research and development (R&D) support policies.

Japan is the world’s third-largest pharmaceutical and biotechnology market. According to global market research firm Mordor Intelligence, the size of Japan’s pharmaceutical market reached $88 billion (approximately 123.728 trillion won) last year and is expected to grow to $91.94 billion (about 129.2676 trillion won) by 2029.

For Korean companies, Japan is becoming more than just an export market; it is increasingly seen as a strategic partner for collaboration. Analysts note that combining Japan’s strengths in basic research, clinical infrastructure, and regulatory experience with Korea’s advanced manufacturing technology and rapid development capabilities could maximize synergies in new drug commercialization and global supply chain competitiveness. Japanese pharmaceutical companies, while having a strong domestic market base, are actively seeking to secure external production capacity, leading to a growing demand for collaboration with Korean CDMOs that offer high-quality mass production and fast response capabilities.

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