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  3. Shonan iPark Commences Full-Fledged Collaboration with Osong Medical Innovation Foundation (KBIOHealth) in Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea

Shonan iPark Commences Full-Fledged Collaboration with Osong Medical Innovation Foundation (KBIOHealth) in Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea

Press Release

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March 15, 2024
iPark Institute Co., Ltd.

Shonan iPark Commences Full-Fledged Collaboration with Osong Medical Innovation Foundation (KBIOHealth) in Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea

●  Mutual personnel exchanges to begin after iPark Institute Co. Ltd. and Osong Medical Innovation Foundation (KBIOHealth) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January
●  Mutual dispatches will support local operations and interactions with bio-ventures

iPark Institute Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fujisawa City, Kanagawa, Japan; CEO: Toshio Fujimoto; hereinafter “iPark Institute”) and Korea’s Osong Medical Innovation Foundation (hereinafter referred to as “KBIOHealth”), a public institution in South Korea (Headquarters: Cheongju City, North Chungcheong Province; Chairman & CEO: Sang-hoon Cha) are commencing full-fledged collaborative activities, building on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in January this year. Shonan iPark will begin accepting dispatches from KBIOHealth this month, and iPark Institute will also dispatch an employee to KBIOHealth in May this year.

Since its opening, Shonan Health Innovation Park (Shonan iPark) has been strengthening its partnerships with science parks and incubation centers in Japan and abroad under its mission of “build a life science ecosystem that is open to the world”. Notably, it has initiated cooperation with South Korea to accelerate innovation in both countries, concluding a MOU for cooperation with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups*1 in November last year and with KBIOHealth in January this year. The MOU states that the two companies will cooperate in the following areas: (1) exchanging experts through dispatches, (2) establishing an external liaison office, (3) participating in internal seminars, and (4) giving priority invitations to special seminars and speaker privileges. The commencing of personnel exchanges falls under areas (1) and (2). In addition to collaboration between organizations, we aim to build deeper exchanges by sharing expertise and experience through the dispatching of staff members to both organizations’ sites.

*1 Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Korea: A central Korean government agency that aims to strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and venture businesses and support innovation. It focuses on promoting policies for fostering startups, policies for corporate growth, and policies for strengthening the competitiveness of small businesses.

Activities for participating members from each organization are planned as follows:

iPark Institute Co., Ltd. dispatches at KBIOHealth
– Networking with Korean bio-venture companies and VC firms
– Participation in Bio Korea (May)
– Introduction of Japanese biotech ventures

KBIOHealth dispatches at Shonan iPark
– Engage in science park management operations (holding events, etc.)
– Pilot a research support program for Japanese and Korean ventures
– Networking with Japanese bio-ventures and VC firms
– Introduction of Korean biotech ventures

iPark Institute also plans to mark the arrival of dispatches from KBIOHealth by hosting events in Shonan iPark to promote cultural exchanges. With science at the core, the organization seeks to build a foundation for both parties to cooperate and accelerate innovation while deepening understanding of each other’s culture and values.

Speaking on the establishment of the new activity base, Sang-hoon Cha, Chairman & CEO of KBIOHealth, said: “The collaboration with iPark Institute will entail sharing expertise and experience in the bio-health industry between the two institutions. The establishment of iPark Institute Korea Office is envisioned as a cornerstone for the bio-alliance between Korea and Japan. Furthermore, KBIOHealth, as a nationally-led CRDMO institution equipped with world-class technology and top-tier service for the biotech industry ecosystem, will contribute to fostering advanced industrial clusters within the nation”.

Toshio Fujimoto, CEO of iPark Institute Co., Ltd. added:
“It is our hope that continuous exchange of personnel with KBIOHealth will stimulate the ecosystems of both parties and accelerate innovation. We believe this will be an opportunity to further diversify the innovation community in Shonan iPark and make it a place where a wide range of cultures and talents can thrive. We will continue to evolve as we strive to realize our founding mission to “build a life science ecosystem that is open to the world”.

About Osong Medical Innovation Foundation (KBIOHealth)
The Osong Medical Innovation Foundation (KBIOHealth) is a government-led organization under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, established to nurture the bio-health industry as a future national growth engine. In November 2013, the foundation completed the construction of four core facilities, including the New Drug Development Center, Medical Device Development Center, Non-clinical Evaluation Center, and BioPharmaceutical Manufacturing Center. Each center is equipped with highly advanced facilities and equipment to support the development of bio drugs and BT-based medical devices.

KBIOHealth serves as a “Research and Development Service Platform” aimed at fostering the growth of advanced medical industries through the activation and dissemination of research in the fields of bio drugs and BT-based medical devices. It fills the void where the private sector may fall short, providing services needed by the government. Beyond supporting applied development research, KBIOHealth also offers consulting on research directions for business development.

Homepage: https://www.kbiohealth.kr/en/
Social media: YouTube / Facebook / Instagram / Blog

About iPark Institute Co., Ltd.
iPark Institute Co., Ltd. was established in 2023 with Industrial & Infrastructure Fund Investment Corporation (IIF), Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda), and Mitsubishi Corporation as major shareholders. It took over the management of Shonan Health Innovation Park (Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture) in 2023, which Takeda has been responsible for since 2018. For more information about our company, please click here.

About Shonan Health Innovation Park (Shonan iPark)
Shonan iPark is Japan’s first pharmaceutical-initiated science park, created by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited in April 2018 by opening its own research laboratories to the outside world. Currently operated by iPark Institute Co., Ltd. independent of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, the park aims to become a place where industry, government, and academia from a wide range of industries and sizes can come together to accelerate health innovation. Currently, the ecosystem is comprised of not only pharmaceutical companies, but also companies and organizations in next-generation medicine, cellular agriculture, AI, and government, with approximately 170 companies and more than 2,500 people (as of March 2024).

Click here for homepage
Click here for full list of Shonan iPark tenants, member companies and organizations.
Official social links: YouTube / Facebook / X (former Twitter) / LinkedIn

For inquiries regarding this matter, please contact:
iPark Institute Co., Ltd., Communications
Attn: Takizawa, Hibino
Mail: iPi.PR@shonan-ipark.com