Pohang, South Korea – A new center dedicated to accelerating the commercialization of bioprinted artificial organs has opened in Pohang, South Korea. The "Bioprinting Artificial Organ Commercialization Support Center" began full-scale operations on November 28th.

Located within the Pohang Knowledge Industrial Complex, the 1,400.8 square meter facility is equipped with a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certified bioprinting artificial organ manufacturing facility and research laboratories for quality analysis and efficacy studies of cell and gene therapies, and tissue engineering products.

To establish this center, Gyeongbuk Province has been collaborating with Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang Techno Park, and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology since 2022, when it was selected for a government-funded project to develop bioprinted artificial organs.

POSTECH's Applied Technology Center for Bioprinted Artificial Organs will focus on developing and producing artificial organs and providing animal-free testing technology. Pohang Techno Park will establish a commercialization facility for bioprinted artificial organs, while the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology's Biomedical Production Technology Center will work on standardizing bio-ink materials.

Gyeongbuk Province hosted a seminar on advanced regenerative bio-industry, bringing together industry, academia, and research institutes to discuss challenges and explore collaborative opportunities. The province aims to leverage the center to foster the development of cell and gene therapies and tissue engineering products, driving the growth of the future advanced bio-industry.

Moreover, Gyeongbuk Province plans to link the center with the designated national advanced strategic industry cluster for bio-industry in Andong and Pohang, selected in June. This will enable the province to expand from traditional vaccine and biopharmaceutical industries to advanced regenerative medicine and advanced biopharmaceuticals.

Yang Geum-hee, Deputy Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, emphasized the critical need for artificial organs, stating that the waiting list for organ transplants in Korea has exceeded 50,000. She expressed the province's commitment to accelerating the commercialization of artificial organs, contributing to the development of the national advanced regenerative bio-industry, and fostering the growth of future industries in the region.

The global regenerative medicine market is projected to reach $127.7 billion by 2030. The cell and gene therapy market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 18.3%, reaching $973 billion by 2033, while the artificial organ market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 7%, reaching $445 billion by 2033.

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