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| Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Moon Sung-wook, front row fourth from left, poses with Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim, front row third from left, and government officials, during a meeting at the Incheon Free Economic Zone headquarters in Songdo, west of Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy |
By Baek Byung-yeul
Ever since Korea saw its first confirmed case of COVID-19 in January 2020, the country's reaction to the virus pandemic has stood out as it succeeded in curbing the virus spread quickly without closing down the economy.
But the pandemic also rang the alarm signaling that the country still lags behind other advanced countries in terms of developing vaccines, which is ultimately necessary for people to get back to a more normal life.
To be more capable of handling such critical diseases next time, Korea is speeding up its support of the country's biotech industry. As part of these efforts, Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Moon Sung-wook met with biotech companies based in the Songdo biotech cluster in Incheon, southwest of Seoul, and has pledged to spare no efforts in making the cluster into a hub for the global vaccine industry.
"Songdo is the world's largest biopharmaceutical cluster, and it has a well-established biotech ecosystem of pharmaceutical production facilities, bio substance companies, universities and research institutions," the minister said Monday during the meeting.
The meeting included as participants representatives of biotech firms such as Samsung Biologics, Celltrion, DM BIO, Merck, SCM Lifescience, i-SENS, RudaCure and Saint-Gobain, as well as government officials, including the mayor of Incheon and the head of the Incheon Free Economic Zone.
He added that Samsung Biologics' signing of an agreement to manufacture Moderna's mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at its Songdo plant will consequently raise the country's status as a hub and base for vaccine production.
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| Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Moon Sung-wook, right, speaks during a meeting with biotech firms at the Incheon Free Economic Zone headquarters in Songdo, west of Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy |
Representatives of the biotech companies that attended the meeting suggested resolving various issues, such as training biotech professionals and improving the supply chain for raw materials.
In response, the industry minister said, "The central government will cooperate with the local government to establish the basic infrastructure, support the creation of a center that fosters professionals in the industry and offer incentives so that firms increase their investments."
The industry minister also made a visit to Samsung Biologics in Songdo to inspect the company's vaccine manufacturing facility. Under the agreement between Samsung and Moderna, the former will provide large-scale, commercial fill-finish manufacturing for mRNA-1273, Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, starting in the third quarter of this year.
"Samsung Biologics is playing an important role in accelerating the government's scheme to make Songdo a global vaccine hub," the minister said, adding that the government will actively support the private sector's efforts.
Samsung Biologics said that the company will not only manufacture Moderna's mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, but will also produce mRNA drug substances, saying the company will begin constructing an additional facility for mRNA bulk drug substances by the first half of next year.
President Moon Jae-in already revealed his vision during his visit to the cluster last November, when he pledged that the government will help approximately 40 biotech companies by investing more than 10 trillion won by 2023 to create 9,000 jobs.
To achieve the goal, the government expanded the bio-related research and development budget to 1.7 trillion won this year from 1.3 trillion won in 2020.
