University selected for Ministry of Trade's advanced industry graduate school support program in biotech
Kangwon National University will train 205 master's and doctoral-level biotech specialists over five years using state funding.
Gangwon Province said Monday that Kangwon National University had been selected for the biotech track of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's "Advanced Industry Specialized Graduate School Support" program.
The university will receive up to 15 billion won ($10.9 million) in government funding over five years to develop core graduate-level specialists who will strengthen the competitiveness of Gangwon Province's biotech specialized complex.
Gangwon Province Governor Woo Sang-ho said the selection was significant because it represented national recognition of the province's foundation for nurturing talent to drive sustained growth in its biotech industry. "We will closely link the industrial base of the Gangwon biotech specialized complex with Kangwon National University's strong education and research capabilities to build an ecosystem where the talent companies need is trained right here in Gangwon — and where that talent can stay, conduct research, and grow," he said.
In the biotech industry, securing skilled personnel is a key factor that determines corporate investment and growth.
Gangwon Province plans to build a comprehensive talent development system covering the full biotech industry cycle — from biopharmaceutical research and development through process development to demonstration and commercialization — by linking Kangwon National University's education and research capabilities with Chuncheon's biotech industry base and provincial innovation hubs such as the National Antibody Cluster in Hongcheon.
The province also plans to strengthen its industry-academia cooperation framework, aiming to create a self-reinforcing biotech ecosystem for Gangwon that flows from specialized complex development to corporate attraction, talent cultivation, research and commercialization, and ultimately local settlement.
Governor Woo said the province was steadily putting in place the building blocks needed to emerge as a new growth hub for South Korea's biotech industry. "Following the designation of the specialized complex, we are now progressively establishing the foundations for research, commercialization and high-level talent development," he said. "We will provide active support so that Gangwon Province can rise as a new engine of growth for South Korea's biotech industry."
abc@heraldcorp.com
