John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, Expands K-Bio's Global Reach Through International Partnerships

[Financial News] John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, is expanding K-bio partnerships by leveraging a global network. He accompanied the president on a U.S. trip to highlight the competitiveness of Korea's biotechnology industry while continuing vaccine and open-innovation partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies. With 37 years of experience as a global biotech expert, he is seen as contributing not only to the company's development but also to the growth of Korea's broader biotechnology industry. 

 According to industry sources on the 27th, John Rim, who accompanied President Lee Jae Myung on his U.S. trip, attended the Korea Investment Summit 2026 in New York on the 23rd, local time. The event provided an opportunity to highlight the competitiveness of Korea's biotechnology industry to global investors as the government sought to attract investment in next-generation growth industries, including advanced biotechnology.
 At the event, John Rim said, "Korea has already established itself as a key pillar of the global bio supply chain and is achieving significant results." He added, "As the Korean government is also creating an open investment environment that allows global investors to invest based on the strengths of Korea's biotechnology industry, I hope that strategies enabling Korean companies and global investment institutions to achieve mutual benefits will continue to be discussed."
 John Rim is credited not only with elevating Samsung Biologics to the ranks of the world's top-tier contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), but also with contributing to the growth of the K-bio ecosystem through open innovation, the advancement of Korea as a vaccine hub, and efforts aimed at serving the nation through business. 
 This is not the first time he has taken the global stage representing Korea's biotechnology industry. During President Moon Jae-in's U.S. trip in 2021, John Rim attended the Korea-U.S. business roundtable and a Korea-U.S. vaccine industry cooperation event, where he signed a contract with Moderna to manufacture finished COVID-19 mRNA vaccine products. Samsung Biologics produced and shipped Moderna's vaccine that same year, establishing a domestic production base for mRNA vaccines.
 He has also consistently attended global events, including the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, expanding partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and investors. His experience in research and development, operations, and finance at global pharmaceutical companies such as Genentech and Roche has also provided a foundation for international collaboration.
 After signing a partnership this year with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) for a vaccine manufacturing facility network, Samsung Biologics also moved to establish a South Korean hub for Eli Lilly and Company's open-innovation program, Lilly Gateway Labs (LGL). The LGL hub is scheduled to be housed in an open innovation center at the Songdo Second Bio Campus, which is set to open in 2027.

 John Rim is leading the expansion of Samsung Biologics' manufacturing capacity and business portfolio. This year, Samsung Biologics completed the acquisition of a manufacturing facility in Rockville, Maryland, securing a North American production base. Its total antibody drug manufacturing capacity has consequently increased to 845,000 L, creating a dual production system linking Korea and the United States.
 In July, the company announced the acquisition of Swiss peptide CDMO company PolyPeptide Group (PPG), marking its entry into the peptide business. The acquisition is valued at 1.46 billion Swiss francs, or approximately 2.7 trillion won. The company is expanding its business areas from existing antibody drugs, mRNA, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to peptides.
 The company is also continuing to secure global customers based on its expanded manufacturing capacity and diversified business. The number of its customers among the world's top 20 big pharmaceutical companies has risen to 17, while its cumulative contract value since John Rim took office has reached 19.5883 trillion won. The cumulative contract value since the company's founding stands at approximately $21.9 billion.
 Samsung Biologics is also continuing investments in domestic and overseas biotech companies through the Samsung Life Science Fund, academia-industry partnerships to train biotech professionals, and efforts to localize raw and auxiliary materials. Its strategy is to support the growth of the broader K-bio ecosystem by expanding its manufacturing capacity and business areas while broadening the foundation for cooperation that connects global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with domestic biotech firms.
[email protected] Jung Sang-hee Reporter