Governor Kim Jin-tae: "Hongcheon, the 'Antibody Capital of Korea'... Expected to Become Gangwon's Bioindustry Hub"

Gangwon Province Holds Completion Ceremony for Hongcheon National Antibody Cluster
First-Phase Core Research Facilities Completed; Emerging as a Hub for Antibody Research and Therapeutic Development
Second-Phase Business Support Facilities, Including Business Center, Scheduled for Completion by 2027

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) held the completion ceremony for the Hongcheon National Antibody Cluster, which aims to lead the future of the bioindustry and respond to emerging infectious diseases, on October 29 in Junghwagye-ri, Bukbang-myeon, Hongcheon. With this event, the province has officially launched its efforts to foster the antibody industry.

Aerial view of Hongcheon National Antibody Cluster. Provided by Gangwon Province

Over 100 people attended the ceremony, including Gangwon Governor Kim Jin-tae, Hongcheon County Governor Shin Young-jae, heads of innovative organizations from industry, academia, research, and medical sectors both within and outside the province, as well as local residents.

The Hongcheon National Antibody Cluster is a large-scale project with a total investment of 123.3 billion won, aiming to foster the vaccine and antibody-based therapeutic industries for emerging infectious diseases. It will serve as a central hub, providing integrated, one-stop support for facilities, equipment, technology, human resources, and residential conditions.

With the completion of the first phase, three core research facilities have been fully established: the Immune Antibody Therapeutic Material Development Support Center, the Future Infectious Disease Rapid Response Research Center, and the Neutralizing Antibody Therapeutic Development Support Center. In the second phase, business support facilities such as a business center and public housing for employees are scheduled to be built sequentially by 2027.

In particular, the Neutralizing Antibody Therapeutic Development Support Center is equipped with cutting-edge equipment, such as the ultrafast automated cell separation and analysis device (Beacon), which will dramatically shorten the antibody discovery period from the conventional 12 weeks to just 1 week, thereby leading technological innovation.

Gangwon Province expects that the completion of this cluster will accelerate antibody research and therapeutic development.

The Immune Antibody Therapeutic Material Development Support Center will focus on discovering antibody candidates for autoimmune diseases and serve as a hub for industry-academia collaboration.

The Future Infectious Disease Rapid Response Research Center will function as a regional and national center for responding to new and variant infectious diseases, establishing a swift response system in times of crisis.

Currently, 11 companies-including HowlBio, Enbios, Peptoid, TscellBio, CapioBioScience Korea, L&PSolution, Crosspoint Therapeutics, Novamedilab, Siren Therapeutics, Korea FMC, and Cellus-have moved into the cluster and are highly satisfied with their research using advanced equipment. Four additional companies are scheduled to join by the end of the year.

The province and Hongcheon County have designated the antibody sector as a future strategic industry and have focused on its development since the pandemic. Last year, they succeeded in attracting the government’s national strategic project: the National Advanced Strategic Industry Bio-Specialized Complex and the Opportunity Development Zone.

Governor Kim Jin-tae emphasized, "Hongcheon has become the antibody capital of Korea," adding, "The bio sector is an industry that began even before I became governor, and it is a remarkable legacy that started with the Hongcheon Medical Hub Research Institute in 2007."

He continued, "I hope that the Hongcheon National Antibody Cluster, together with the bio-specialized complex in Chuncheon, the natural product bio industry in Gangneung, the green bio industry in Pyeongchang, and the medical device digital healthcare sector in Wonju, will serve as a hub for the bioindustry in Gangwon Province."

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