The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority announced that an opening ceremony for the “Global Bio Campus Training Center,” designed to train vaccine and biopharmaceutical production personnel from middle- and low-income countries, was held at 6:00 p.m. on October 20 at Yonsei University’s International Campus in Songdo.

The training center is a dedicated educational facility built in Songdo, Incheon, following South Korea’s designation by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B)” in February 2022.

The opening ceremony was held to commemorate the launch of the training center and to share the achievements of the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing project to date, as well as the current status of the education and training infrastructure.

The event was attended by approximately 30 officials, including Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Minister of Health and Welfare, the Commissioner of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, the Chairman of the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing Support Foundation, and other relevant personnel.

Located on the second floor of the SL Biogen Industry-Academia Cooperation Building on Yonsei University’s International Campus, the practical training center covers a total area of approximately 2,492 square meters (with approximately 1,719 square meters dedicated to practical training) and is equipped with specialized laboratories for training in microbial culture, purification, analysis, and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC).

By 2028, the facility plans to gradually expand its equipment in the areas of production processes and quality control to establish a comprehensive practical training infrastructure covering the entire process—from vaccine and biopharmaceutical manufacturing to quality control.

The “Global Bio Workforce Training Hub (GTH-B) Project” is overseen by the Global Bio Workforce Training Hub Support Foundation, located in Songdo, which operates theory- and practice-oriented training programs in collaboration with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and five regional network campuses nationwide.

With the opening of this hands-on training facility, education that integrates theoretical instruction with on-site practical training is expected to be strengthened, thereby enhancing trainees’ practical competencies in production processes and quality control. Furthermore, it is expected to contribute to the development of specialized biopharmaceutical personnel in low- and middle-income countries and to the strengthening of their capacity for domestic production of vaccines and biopharmaceuticals.

Meanwhile, the Incheon Economic Promotion Agency will provide a total of 9 billion won from 2024 to 2028 to support the operation of the Global Bio Campus education and training program. As the construction of the training center’s facilities and equipment proceeds with national funding, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority is collaborating with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and Yonsei University’s K-NIBRT—a regional network campus—to provide financial support and project management to ensure the stable and effective operation of the education and training programs.

The Commissioner of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority stated, “The opening of the Global Bio Campus practical training facility will serve as a significant milestone for Songdo’s transformation into an international hub for bio-talent development,” adding, “We will do our utmost to actively support international cooperation projects based on Songdo’s excellent bio-infrastructure and contribute to the advancement of global health security.”