'Next-Generation Plant Exosome' Vision Declaration Held to Build a Comprehensive Bio Ecosystem

Gyeongsangbuk-do hosted the "Pohang Global Bio Forum 2026" on October 1 at the Lahan Hotel Pohang, sharing the achievements of selected national R&D projects in the advanced biotechnology sector and presenting future directions for development.

Around 100 prominent figures and experts in the domestic and international bio sectors attended the event to exchange academic and informational insights across sessions and expand their global networks.

During the event, a vision declaration ceremony was held for the "Next-Generation Plant Exosome Technology Development and Commercialization Linkage Hub Construction Project," which was selected for a public contest by the Ministry of Science and ICT. The project is a joint initiative involving five cities and counties: Pohang, Yeongcheon, Gyeongsan, Goryeong, and Yechun.

Supervised by the Global Exosome Research Institute at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), a total of 27.2 billion won (21.2 billion won in national funds and 5.8 billion won in local funds) will be injected into this project over five years from 2026 to 2030.

Pohang City will be in charge of platform construction and discovering candidate materials for food and pharmaceuticals. Gyeongsan City will handle the production verification of cosmetics and health functional foods. Meanwhile, Yeongcheon City, Goryeong County, and Yechun County will be responsible for the standardization and securing of production systems for plant-derived exosomes, respectively.

A key feature of this initiative is moving beyond a single local government-centric approach, instead pooling the specialized infrastructure of each region within the province to broaden the foundation of the bio industry.

Specialized sessions and briefing sessions for each core R&D project were also held concurrently. In the bioink and therapeutics R&D session, global scholars discussed ways to cultivate patient cells to create organs and utilize them for medical treatment.

In the regional medical innovation R&D session, discussions focused on developing an early diagnosis system for high-risk mothers and fetuses using placental microfluidic imaging, laying the groundwork for developing advanced medical devices immediately applicable in clinical settings.

In the national research institute and Pohang Bio Industry Association session, trends in bio-semiconductors from advanced bio nations were shared, alongside discussions on pathological challenges utilizing the endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes, and methods for transitioning to clinical interventions.

An attending academic society official stated, "We hope that the various national bio R&D projects being promoted in Gyeongbuk will leap forward to become South Korea's definitive future growth engine industry, succeeding the semiconductor industry."

Park Si-gyun, Director-General of Science and Industry Bureau of Gyeongsangbuk-do, remarked, "The R&D projects currently underway will evolve into top-tier biotechnology capable of leading the global market beyond Gyeongbuk. Gyeongsangbuk-do will spare no effort in providing continuous interest and full support to ensure these core projects