BIO KOREA 2024: Registration Open for Business Partnering

BIO KOREA 2024, jointly held by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI, President: Cha Soon-do) and Chungcheongbuk-do (Governor: Kim Young-hwan), has commenced its registration for Business Partnering on March 4, 2024 (Mon.).

Business Partnering, one of the major programs at BIO KOREA, provides opportunities for one-on-one meetings between companies at home and abroad, alongside pertinent institutions within the BioHealth sector. This business matchmaking will foster discussions on potential business and research collaborations, encompassing collaborative research, market entry, and technology transfers.

In 2023, the easing of COVID-19 restrictions has led to increased participation. As many as 782 companies from 51 countries attended on-site events and 1,320 business meetings were arranged. This year, the Business Partnering Center will be expanded to provide more opportunities for participating companies to make business connections.

Throughout the three-day event from May 8 (Wed.) to May 10 (Fri.), the Business Partnering will unfold both online and offline on the sidelines of BIO KOREA 2024. In particular, online meetings will be supported round-the-clock to guarantee seamless engagements with international counterparts.

Companies seeking to engage in the Business Partnering should register through either the FCA or OPA options. Those pre-registering with the FCA by April 30 (Tue.), will receive a 10% discount.

* FCA (Full Convention Access): Grants in-person participation across all programs, including conferences, exhibitions, and Business Partnering, for the three-day event.
* OPA (Online Partnering Access): Provides access to online business partnering activities over the three-day event.

Meanwhile, due to an overwhelming response from domestic and overseas entities, applications for participation in the fair have closed earlier than anticipated.

This year, at least 50 foreign companies and research institutions are expected to be present with delegations from Business Sweden in Seoul, the Danish Embassy in Korea, Austrade, and Biocom California in the USA. Furthermore, a heightened presence of local enterprises from various countries, such as Germany, Thailand, and Taiwan, is expected to explore commercial prospects with Korean companies, given their participation in the national pavilion booths.

Participants include major domestic and foreign companies, including ST Pharm, Yuhan Corporation, Lonza, Wuxi Apptech, Fujifilm, and Labcorp. Exhibition booths for advanced regenerative medicine companies, including a Special Hall for AI featuring digital healthcare companies, will be opened as well.

More information is available on the BIO KOREA 2024 website (www.biokorea.org). Companies interested in Business Partnering can register via the website.