• Minister Lee Jong Ho visited Imperial College London to discuss cooperation opportunities with advanced biotechnology experts from Korea and the UK.

• An MoU was signed between KAIST·KRIBB and Imperial College·SynbiCITE, which involves the establishment of a joint synthetic biology research center at KAIST and Imperial College.

• MoUs between KBRI and DPUK regarding brain research collaboration, and KRIBB and University of Cambridge Milner Therapeutics Institute regarding AI-based drug development were also signed, expanding the scope of ROK-UK cooperation on advanced biotechnology.

The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong Ho, hereinafter referred to as "MSIT") hosted the "Roundtable for ROK-UK International Collaboration on Synthetic Biology" on November 22^nd (12:30 PM in local time) at Imperial College London, United Kingdom.

This event was organized on the occasion of President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the UK. Minister Lee Jong Ho visited the Imperial College London, a globally renowned university in natural sciences and engineering, and organized the event to discuss cooperation between Korea and the UK with experts in the field of engineering biology (hereafter interchangeably referred to as "synthetic biology") from both countries.

Synthetic biology has garnered global attention as a core technology that will lead the future bioeconomy, driving innovation and sustainable growth in various industries such as pharmaceuticals, energy, chemistry, and agriculture. In 2012, the UK has established the world's first engineering biology roadmap, and subsequently, designated engineering biology as one of the 5 critical technologies in the national portfolio. Similarly, Korea has identified synthetic biology as a key technology within the field of advanced biotechnology, one of the 12 national strategic technologies. Synthetic biology was also enlisted as a major agenda item for bilateral cooperation during the "15^th ROK-UK Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation" held in June.

The event was attended by several prominent figures from the UK, including Hugh Brady, the President of Imperial College, Professors Richard Kitney and Paul Freemont, who are distinguished scholars in the field of engineering biology, as well as Hannah Boardman, the Director for Emerging Technologies and Regulatory Innovation at the UK Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). From the Korean side, attendees included Professor Lee Sang Yup at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), who is also a Foreign Member of the Royal Society, Lee Seung-Goo, the General Director of Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Institute at Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), and Lee Dae Hee, the Associate Director of Synthetic Biology Research Center at KRIBB.

Prior to the event, Minister Lee Jong Ho conducted a tour inspection of the London Biofoundry facility, located within the White City Campus of Imperial College. Serving as the core infrastructure to engineering biology, London Biofoundry was established in 2013 with funding from the UK government to accelerate engineering biology research and industrial applications.

During the event that followed, experts from Korea and the UK exchanged the respective countries’ national policies for fostering synthetic biology, and discussed topics encompassing support for research and development (R&D), infrastructure development such as biofoundries, human resource training, and ways to link research outcomes with industrial application. Overall, there was a shared recognition among participating experts that combining Korea's world-class digital and engineering capabilities with the UK's robust foundational capacity for science and technology could lead to outstanding achievements. Both countries agreed to establish a joint synthetic biology research center at Imperial College and KAIST to pursue concrete collaboration activities in R&D and human resource training.

Meanwhile, a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on advanced biotechnology cooperation in the fields of synthetic biology, brain research, and AI-based drug development was signed between major universities and research institutes of the two countries, within the context of President Yoon's state visit to the UK.

First, Korea's KRIBB and KAIST signed an MoU on synthetic biology research cooperation with the UK counterparts Imperial College and the Innovation and Knowledge Center for Synthetic Biology (SynbiCITE)* on November 22^nd. The signed parties agreed to establish a joint research center and proceed with strategic joint research and human resource exchange. The aim of this agreement is to develop core technologies for synthetic biology and biofoundry, and to promote the growth of advanced biotechnology industry based on synthetic biology.

* SynbiCITE is the UK's national center for synthetic biology based at Imperial College London, and includes the core facility, London Biofoundry. Its purpose is at connecting the industry and academia, and promoting industrial application.

Second, Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) and the Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) will hold a signing ceremony of an MoU at the University of Oxford, on November 23^rd. The two parties are planning to expand joint research projects with a focus on developing personalized treatment strategies for brain diseases and global market-oriented diagnostics and treatments for practical use.

Third, KRIBB and the University of Cambridge Milner Therapeutics Institute* signed an MoU on research cooperation in the field of AI-based drug development on November 20^th. The agreement includes plans to establish local hubs for collaborative activities, joint research projects, and human resource exchange.

* Milner Therapeutics Institute is under the School of Clinical Medicine at University of Cambridge, of which the main research interest is in utilizing novel methodologies, such as AI and big data, for development of treatments.

Minister Lee Jong Ho emphasized, "Like any other scientific and technological fields, innovation in the bio sector is challenging for a single group or country alone. Thus, solidarity and reciprocity enabled through technological cooperation leveraging competitive advantage of each are crucial." He further stated that, "As both Korea and the United Kingdom share a common understanding of the need for bilateral cooperation in fostering technological innovation in advanced biotechnology and the growth of bioeconomy, the government will further strengthen support to facilitate collaboration between the two countries that can yield concrete outcomes, such as technology and human resource exchange."

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT.

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