[StartupRecipe] Korean Bio Ventures Eye Japan, Europe with Government Support

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Korean Bio Ventures Eye Japan, Europe with Government Support

The Korean government has actively supported the global expansion of domestic bio venture businesses. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that bio venture businesses supported by MSS participated in “BIO Japan 2025,” held in Yokohama, Japan, starting Wednesday, October 8, and in “Nordic Life Science Days (NLS Days),” held in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Monday, October 13.

BIO Japan is the largest bio event in Asia, with more than 1,000 companies from 34 countries participating and over 22,000 partnership meetings taking place. Following 2024, MSS again operated the integrated promotional booth “K-Startup Biotechnology Pavilion (Startup@BIO)” at BIO Japan in 2025, together with the Korea Institute of Toxicology, Chungbuk Technopark, and Gyeongbuk Technopark, featuring 30 domestic bio venture businesses.

In addition, investment relations (IR) events and conferences were held consecutively on the second day (October 9) and the third day (October 10), with participation from Japanese and global venture capital firms and pharmaceutical companies, including DCI Partners, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, and Boehringer Ingelheim.

Among the participating companies, those involved in the overseas demonstration project jointly supported by MSS and Shonan iPark stood out for their active engagement. Youth Bio Global signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan’s Human Life Cord Co., Ltd. for joint research and development and the establishment of a joint venture. In addition, YiPSCELL presented as the Korean representative at “The Pitch of BIO Japan,” organized by the BIO Japan host committee on Friday, October 10, where biotech ventures from Korea, Japan, and Taiwan conducted investment relations (IR) presentations.

NLS Days is the largest biotechnology partnering event in Northern Europe, held annually in the Medicon Valley region and attended by more than 1,500 participants. In particular, it has strong expertise in the field of advanced regenerative medicine. MSS and the Chungbuk Center for Creative Economy and Innovation (CCEI), in collaboration with CCRM Nordic, which supports the commercialization of advanced regenerative medicine in Europe, selected 10 venture businesses to participate in NLS Days. During NLS Days, MSS provided on-site, close support for these companies in cooperation with CCRM Nordic, including visits to the Swedish bio-innovation ecosystem.

Park Yong-soon, Director General for Technology Innovation Policy, stated, “The global expansion of domestic bio venture businesses, particularly in Japan, is gradually producing tangible results. We expect that outcomes will accelerate further as support for international joint R&D expands.” He added, “Building on these achievements, we will diversify collaboration channels to regions such as Europe and spare no effort in helping our companies explore new opportunities.”

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