Over 100 representatives from local universities, research institutions and companies gather to publicly discuss S-DBC regional cooperation model for the first time; forum to explore shared open campus concept and framework connecting university research capabilities with corporate technology needs
Nowon-gu and Seoul Technopark will co-host the inaugural S-DBC Nowon Forum on Wednesday, bringing together universities, research institutions and companies in the district to discuss ways to build an industry-academia-research cooperation network.
The forum was organized to kick off substantive discussions on building an industry-academia-research ecosystem centered on S-DBC (Seoul Digital Bio City), a large-scale digital biotech complex being developed in the Changdong railyard area. More than 100 people are expected to attend, including biotech professors, graduate and undergraduate students, Seoul Technopark officials, and representatives from pharmaceutical and biotech companies and industry associations.
S-DBC is the largest digital biotech industrial complex in northern Seoul, to be built on approximately 250,000 square meters spanning the Changdong railyard and the Dobong driver's license testing center site. The project is a long-held aspiration for the region and a centerpiece of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's "Northern Seoul Renaissance" initiative. Full-scale development is expected to begin in 2027, when demolition of the Changdong railyard gets underway.
The forum will be held Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the small auditorium on the sixth floor of the Nowon-gu District Office. The first session will feature a project briefing, a keynote lecture, presentations and a panel discussion, followed by a networking reception in the second session.
The keynote will be delivered by Gil Young-jun, chief executive of Huino Co. Gil developed South Korea's first wearable electrocardiogram watch and received the 2025 Medical Device Award. He will speak on "The Road Huino Has Traveled," sharing the company's journey from startup to growth.
The forum will then examine the industry-academia-research ecosystem built around Hongneung, one of South Korea's leading biotech clusters, and explore how that experience can be applied to Nowon. Jeong Ki-taek, a professor at Kyung Hee University who previously served as principal of the Hongneung Special Zone Startup School and as president of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, will present on "Activating the Hongneung Industry-Academia-Research Ecosystem," highlighting the cluster's cooperative experience and key achievements. Kim Hwan, a professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, will then propose a framework for building a shared open campus among universities in the Nowon area.
The panel discussion will cover three topics: a phased plan to establish a shared open campus among Nowon-area universities, a cooperation framework linking university research capabilities with corporate technology needs, and space and operational arrangements to support meaningful participation by universities and research institutions.
A central focus will be finding ways to connect the research and clinical capabilities already held by universities, hospitals and research institutions in Nowon — particularly in digital biotech — into a single integrated ecosystem. The vision is to consolidate the district's innovation capacity ahead of the S-DBC development by expanding the exchange of human and educational resources among universities and building joint education and talent-development programs in partnership with industry.
A report summarizing the forum's findings is scheduled for release in October. Nowon-gu and Seoul Technopark plan to continue holding regular forums, using this inaugural event as a starting point to flesh out a Nowon-style industry-academia-research cooperation model built around S-DBC.
"S-DBC is the cornerstone project that will open the next 100 years for Nowon and a forward-looking strategy to grow Seoul's northeastern corridor into a new pillar of South Korea's biotech industry," Nowon-gu District Mayor Seo Jun-o said. "Through this forum, we will bring together the strengths of universities, research institutions and companies to build an industry-academia-research ecosystem with a competitive edge that is uniquely Nowon's own."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
