SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

- Boston Office: The first global hub specialized in advanced bio research and commercialization
- Planned support for global advanced bio research, training physician-scientists, and assisting bio startups

Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), led by President Kim Young Tae, announced the official opening of the 'Seoul National University Hospital Global R&D Hub Center (Boston Office)' in Boston on April 14. The opening marks the beginning of full-scale efforts to drive global research collaboration and the commercialization of technologies in the advanced bio field. This move is expected to be a significant turning point in accelerating K-Bio’s global expansion.

 The Boston Office is SNUH’s third office in the U.S. after the LA Office (2008) and New York Office (2012). However, it is the first global office dedicated to research and development as well as technology commercialization, making its role highly significant. The Boston Office is located in the CIC Cambridge Innovation Center, the world’s largest bio-cluster, home to over 1,000 biotech and pharmaceutical companies, including Moderna and Pfizer, as well as prestigious research institutions such as MIT, Harvard University, and Massachusetts General Hospital. SNUH plans to leverage this location to accelerate global research collaboration and technology commercialization.

The Boston Office will play a key role as a ‘Triangle Hub’ under the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s specialized research institute project, linking research, industry, and talent. The office will focus on the following initiatives: △Analyzing global trends in advanced bio industries and identifying new research and business opportunities △Launching and managing international joint research projects with Harvard Medical School, MIT, Stanford, and others △Supporting the training of next-generation physician-scientists and core research talent △Establishing commercialization strategies for promising domestic technologies, discovering early-stage bio startups, and facilitating local investment

The office is expected to strengthen global research collaboration on key projects currently underway at the specialized research institutes and rapidly develop commercialization strategies through local research and networking. Furthermore, it will generate synergies by connecting with initiatives like the Boston-Korea Joint Research Support Program, as well as collaborate with Korean researcher networks in Boston to discover the next generation of talent and integrate the latest global bio trends into domestic research and industry.

On April 13, a day before the office’s opening, President Kim Young Tae held a meeting with professors and students engaged in research at leading institutions in Boston, emphasizing that the Boston Office would support the growth of physician-scientists who will lead the future of the country. The opening ceremony on April 14 was attended by President Kim Young Tae, Director Kim Yong Jin of the Institute of Medical Science, Director Cho Young Min of the Planning and Coordination Office, and Director Park Do Jung of the External Cooperation Office, who celebrated the opening with the plaque ceremony.

President Kim Young Tae stated, “The opening of the Boston Office will be a significant stepping stone in accelerating K-Bio’s global expansion. We will do our best to contribute to the development of Korea’s advanced bio industry by working with national strategic technology specialized research institutes, domestic and international joint research teams, and domestic companies to develop commercialization strategies.”