[Provided by the Daegu-North Gyeongsang Free Economic Zone Authority]
[Provided by the Daegu-North Gyeongsang Free Economic Zone Authority]

The Daegu-North Gyeongsang Free Economic Zone Authority held the "2026 DGFEZ Biotech Company Scale-Up Seminar" on Thursday at Pohang Technopark. The event focused on the functions and roles of full-cycle contract research, development, manufacturing and sales organizations in drug development, under the theme "The Present and Future of Biotech Drug Development and Corporate Growth."

The authority hosted the seminar in partnership with Pohang Technopark and the Pohang Bio Industry Association.

About 60 people attended, including representatives from regional biotech and medical companies, universities, research institutes, hospitals, investment firms and drug development organizations.

Korea University professor Jeong Seok delivered the keynote address on startup cases related to biotechnology.

Presentations followed from Kim Jeong-guk, president of Neocan Bio, on commercializing the medical cannabis value chain; Cha University professor Ko Seong-ho on developing a toxicity assessment platform to reduce animal testing in drug development; and Baek Seong-jin, chief executive of HLB Bio Group, on strategies for designing preclinical efficacy and toxicity studies.

An investment and commercialization session featured Daewoong Pharma, HLB BioStep, Inlight Ventures, the Daegyeong Regional University Joint Technology Holding Company and Y&Archer, which shared insights on proof-of-concept validation, open innovation and investment attraction strategies.

Kang Sang-gi, acting director general of the authority, said he hoped the seminar would help regional companies better understand the full drug development cycle and expand cooperation with specialized institutions and investors.


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com