On Friday 6 September, the South Korean organisation Jeonbuk Techno Park opened a contact office at KIST Europe (Korea Institute of Science and Technology) and signed a cooperation agreement with the gwSaar Economic Promotion Corporation.
This new contact point, called the ‘Global Bio-Technology Cooperation Center’, will help Korean biotech companies move to Saarland and promote cooperation between companies and research institutes in the fields of biotechnology and biomedicine.
Minister of Economic Affairs Jürgen Barke: ‘The Korean research and science institute KIST Europe has taken root in Saarland and is highly renowned. The new “Global Bio-Technology Cooperation Center” will serve as an excellent expansion to the institute. Deepening collaborations between Saarland and Korea is a win-win for both sides, as it will enable research findings in the fields of biotechnology and biomedicine to be more effectively linked up with suitable business enterprises in the future. This also enhances Saarland as a business hub.’
At its opening, the President of Jeonbuk Techno Park, Gyu Taek Lee, and the CEO of the gwSaar Saarland Economic Promotion Corporation, Thomas Schuck, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to increase the scope of existing collaborations between Saarland and Korea as well as to ramp up ongoing relocation talks and international networking.
Gyu Taek Lee, Jeonbuk Techno Park: ‘The agreement signed today with gwSaar offers practical support for biotechnology companies from Jeonbuk seeking to expand to Germany and Europe. It will also serve as bridging point for companies from both countries, and facilitate shifts into the global market.’
Thomas Schuck, gwSaar: ‘South Korea’s innovative companies and start-ups make it a very special partner for Saarland. Immediate proximity to excellent research institutions and companies here on the university campus is now one of numerous locational advantages that Saarland has to offer. We are delighted with the memorandum signed today, which represents a vital step forward in collaborations between Saarland and Korea, offering synergy effects for both countries.’
This evening, the Jeonbuk Techno Park contact office is holding a networking event entitled ‘What Jeonbuk State means for globalisation’ at East Side Fab in Saarbrücken. This will present the province of Jeonbuk State and discuss potential collaborations with around 50 representatives of German companies and research institutions. As well as hearing from Minister of Economic Affairs Barke, there will also be a keynote speech given by the governor of Jeonbuk State, Kwan Young Kim.
Opening the contact office and signing the MoU represents a continuation of the economic relations already in place between Saarland and Korea, including the InSaar EU hub for Korean companies.
