Gyeongsangbuk-do fosters future food industry utilizing precision fermentation

[Financial News Andong = Reporter Kim Jang-wook] North Gyeongsang Province is accelerating the industrialization of future foods through advanced microbial fermentation.
To this end, North Gyeongsang Province signed a business agreement with Andong-si and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) on fostering the precision fermentation-based bio and food-tech industry at the opening ceremony of the Gyeongbuk Bio Industry Expo held at the auxiliary arena of the Andong Indoor Gymnasium on the 10th.
With this agreement, the province plans to gradually establish public production facilities and corporate support systems utilizing Andong-si's existing bio infrastructure, thereby fully launching the pilot and mass production of research results and their commercialization by companies.
The three institutions agreed to cooperate on fostering new industries for future foods and biomaterials based on precision fermentation, promoting advanced bio R&D, demonstration, and industrialization, and training specialized personnel.
Governor Lee Cheol-woo emphasized, "Precision fermentation is a future industry capable of creating new value by adding advanced biotechnology to our agricultural and food resources," adding, "We will build an industrial ecosystem where laboratory technology leads to actual production and commercialization by linking Andong-si's bio infrastructure with KAIST's research capabilities."
This year, the province is conducting a Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy research and development (R&D) project with KAIST to localize high-value-added food ingredients such as lutein.
Previously, the government announced the 'Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bio National Strategy' last December and is promoting the establishment of innovation hubs in five major sectors, including bio manufacturing and agro-food.
In line with this trend, this agreement is a measure to foster new high-value-added future food industries by linking advanced biotechnology and to strengthen the competitiveness of regionally specialized agricultural and food resources.
Andong-si plans to launch a research project on "Establishing a Foundation for the Industrialization of Precision Fermentation Technology" to link local agricultural and food resources with advanced biotechnology, and will develop detailed implementation plans.
Meanwhile, the Gyeongbuk Bio Industry Expo, hosted by North Gyeongsang Province and Andong-si and organized by the Gyeongbuk Bioindustry Research Institute, is being held through the 12th at the Andong Indoor Gymnasium, Andong Culture and Arts Center, and Andong City Youth Training Center under the theme 'Gyeongbuk Opening the Future of Advanced Bio.' This marks the fifth edition.
Seventy-seven companies and organizations are participating in this year's expo to showcase products and technologies in various fields, including vaccines, beauty, cell culture, and advanced regenerative medicine. Export consultations to identify AI buyers, as well as purchasing and investment consultations, will also be held continuously at the venue.
Governor Lee Cheol-woo stated, "North Gyeongsang Province, which led Korea's industrialization with steel and electronics, will now firmly establish a new growth engine for Korea's advanced bio industry, centering on the Gyeongbuk Bio and Vaccine Specialization Complex and the National Industrial Complex."

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