Advanced bio refers to the enhancement of existing biotechnologies as well as the overcoming of traditional limitations in biotechnology through the integration of technologies such as artificial intelligence, data science, and nanotechnology, opening up new possibilities. It is rapidly evolving into a technology that can innovatively change the future across all sectors, including health and medical care, industry, energy, agriculture, environment, and security. For this reason, many countries around the world are strengthening their bio capabilities from a national security perspective and are pursuing various policies to lead global bio hegemony. The United States and Europe have designated biotechnology and biomanufacturing as important strategic fields and are actively promoting them, while the World Economic Forum is also advancing a bioeconomy initiative in which I participate as an advisory member.
The importance of advanced bio is further emphasized as it becomes more digitalized, platformized, and strategically technological. For example, the integration with digital technology provides a key to solving the high costs, long durations, and high difficulty issues that have plagued existing bio research and development (R&D), and it is already being actively used in new drug development and protein design. Furthermore, various technologies, including metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, are opening pathways for use as general-purpose technologies in fields such as medicine, chemistry, materials, food, and energy.
In Korea, government investment in bio R&D and private investment have been continuously increasing, with the total bio R&D investment reaching 11.7 trillion won in 2022, comprising 5.2 trillion won from the government and 6.5 trillion won from the private sector. The domestic bio industry has also been growing rapidly at an average annual rate of over 10%, reaching approximately 48 trillion won as of 2021. However, in recent years, investment in bio companies has sharply declined, causing many companies to face difficulties. The government should implement policies to help the bio industry grow by ensuring that excellent companies can secure funding without difficulty. It is also necessary to carefully examine various regulations related to the development of advanced life science-based therapeutics and to address practical issues such as the lack of cultivation facilities for industrial production strains in small and medium-sized venture companies.
The direction we need to take as presented in the Advanced Bio Initiative is clear. First, we must maximize the efficiency of R&D through the digitalization of the bio industry and accelerate the development of new technologies and products. Second, we should develop bio-based manufacturing and bio-materials industries to strengthen our foundational capabilities and explore new markets. Third, we need to develop advanced bio medical technologies to improve public health and enhance the quality of medical services. Finally, we must strengthen the role of advanced bio technologies in addressing global challenges such as climate change, food shortages, and infectious diseases.
To achieve this, national-level support across multiple ministries is essential, along with close cooperation among industry, academia, and research sectors to eliminate obstacles to industrialization and focus on technology development and workforce training. Additionally, we should expand our global network and strengthen international cooperation to ensure that Korea's advanced bio technologies can leap to a global level. This is crucial as advanced bio should establish itself as a new growth engine for Korea, alongside semiconductors, automobiles, and recent defense industries, to play a significant role in shaping our future.
[Lee Sang-yeop, KAIST Department of Bio and Chemical Engineering, Distinguished Professor]
