Switzerland strengthens biotech collaboration with KoreaBIO through new MOU
Life sciences
30 September 2024
From left to right: Andrea Clementi, Head of Swiss Business Hub Korea; Lee Seung-kyou, VP of KoreaBIO; Swiss Ambassador Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli; Antoine Jourdan, Director of SIP West EPFL; Joël Savary, Director International Markets of PromFR, and Okjeong Monica Baik, Deputy Head of Swiss Business Hub Korea. | © Swiss Business Hub Korea
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between KoreaBIO and the Switzerland Innovation Park West EPFL was signed during the Korea-Switzerland Partnering Day, strengthening industrial cooperation and joint research in biotech.
In a move to strengthen industrial collaboration and technological exchange, Switzerland Innovation Park West EPFL and KoreaBIO signed an MOU during the Korea-Switzerland Partnering Day. The agreement, signed at the Swiss Embassy in Korea, aims to strengthen joint R&D projects, promote talent exchange, and promote Switzerland as a hub for Korean biotech companies seeking to enter the European market.
Located in Lausanne, SIP West EPFL works closely with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) to provide advanced research opportunities and breakthrough technologies. This partnership will not only enhance Switzerland’s global standing in the biotech sector, but also provide new opportunities for Korean companies to collaborate with Swiss research institutions.
Joël Savary, Director of International Markets at the Fribourg Development Agency (FDA), highlighted Switzerland’s strong talent pool and world-class research network: “Switzerland has a unique advantage in attracting biotech talent globally, and our institutions consistently produce experts ready to transition into high-impact roles in industries such as life sciences.”
SIP West EPFL Director Antoine Jourdan added, “Switzerland’s dense network of research institutions enables the translation of technology into real-world applications for patients, making it an ideal partner for innovation.”
Swiss Ambassador to Korea Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli noted that about 20% of European life science companies are based in Switzerland, employing about 90,000 people. “This MOU opens up clear avenues for Korean biotech companies to expand into Europe,” she said. In KoreaBIO’s press release, its Vice President Lee Seung-kyou echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the potential for synergy in technological advancements between the two nations to foster innovation in the growing bio-health sector.
