The 1st Gangneung NP·BIO International Conference opened on the afternoon of the 22nd at St. John's Hotel in Gangneung. Co-hosted by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung City, and ChosunBiz, the event shares the latest research trends and technological development directions in natural products and biotechnology. About 300 figures from government, academia, and industry attended the event, showing strong interest in a fresh leap forward for Korea's natural products industry.
On the day, Gangneung Mayor Kim Hong-gyu said in congratulatory remarks, "As the global bio industry is entering a period of rapid transition amid steady growth, this gathering of domestic and international research institutions, corporations, and academia to create practical cooperation and outcomes carries even greater meaning," adding, "I hope this will go beyond a venue for simple discussion and become an opportunity for Gangneung's resources and capabilities to expand into industry, international exchanges, and a future vision."
O Sang-rok, president of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), said, "The Gangneung Institute of Natural Products at KIST is Korea's only government-funded research institute dedicated to natural products, and is taking the lead in global natural product new drug development using artificial intelligence (AI), future agriculture research, and the dissemination of research achievements together with the local community," adding, "I hope this event will serve as a venue for researchers, industry, and the local community to come together as one for sustainable development in the natural products and biotechnology fields and the creation of social value."
Under the theme "Beyond Gangneung to the world, connecting the future of natural products and biotechnology," the event brings together leading scholars from home and abroad and citizens to explore new possibilities for the natural products and biotechnology industry.
The first keynote will be delivered by Professor Alvaro Viljoen, who leads the SAMRC Herbal Drugs Research Unit under the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). Selected in 2013 as the National Research Chair in Phytomedicine, Viljoen has led research in pharmacognosy based on South Africa's rich biodiversity and traditional knowledge for more than 30 years. South Africa, a global treasure trove of biodiversity, has about 22,000 plant species, of which some 3,000 are used in traditional treatments.
Viljoen is scheduled to speak on "Thirty years of South African medicinal plant research—discoveries, development, and reflections." He will present the research achievements pursued by the Phytomedicine Research Group at Tshwane University of Technology and spotlight progress in research toward medical innovation and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through cases of traditional South African medicinal plants.
Next, as the second speaker, Principal Researcher Pan Cheol-ho of KIST's Gangneung Institute of Natural Products will give a presentation on "Microalgae innovations for health, beauty, and regional bioeconomy development." Pan is a natural products researcher and entrepreneur with about 30 years of research experience, more than 15 of which have been devoted to microalgae research. With over 150 international academic papers and numerous patents, he has led industrial outcomes from research, including the commercialization of microalgae-derived health functional food ingredients recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the launch of the vegan skincare brand "HEALARA."
In this presentation, he plans to share strategies to develop bioactive materials using microalgae and to invigorate the regional bioeconomy, focusing on the end-to-end research platform built by KIST's Gangneung Institute of Natural Products, spanning functional evaluation, mass cultivation, strain improvement, and formulation.
On the 23rd to 24th, a researcher-centered deep-dive conference sharing the latest research achievements in natural products and biotechnology and the Aslla Symposium will be held. On the 23rd, "Yak," a science communicator from the YouTube channel Unrealscience, will give a public lecture for citizens. Yak is Lee Sang-gon, a former pharmaceutical company professional and a Ph.D. in pharmacy.
During the event, exhibitions and experience booths related to natural products and biotechnology will also operate. Various programs will be offered, including demonstrations of 3D food printers, microbial microscope observations, and coffee experiences.