Blue Ocean of Bio IT
Blue Ocean of Bio IT
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  • 승인 2007.07.16 11:51
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Bio IT is a new Blue Ocean. Incheon Free Economic Zone, Korea's Seoul National University and KAIST are attracting attention by mapping out an ambitious plan to build a BIT Port, called the Emile Project, in the Cheongna District. The Emile Project plans to forge a creative Bio-IT for a new innovative milieu.

In a nutshell, this BIT Port is to build a BIT complex including a Biotechnology (BT) Complex, IT complex, Common Facility (CF) complex, Education & Business (EB) complex, BIT test bed residence and a research-oriented international hospital under the strong belief that the fusion technology of BT-IT (BIT) is the infrastructure of the next generation's scientific R&D plus under such a firm belief that Hi-tech R&D is the engine of growth in the endless competition.

However, progress is tardy due to rigid regulation through which smooth one-stop service is not attained, according to BIT Port (Emile) Project Head Lee Myung-chul, MD Professor, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine.

Professor Lee said in an exclusive interview with The Korea IT Times: "It is regrettable that all regards it as another person's work", despite of the importance that this BIT Port Project must become a national priority policy project. Lee, among others, explains: "Regulation mitigation must be loosened so that this BIT Port Project can be proceeded smoothly as planned initially."

An alternative to uncertain Korea's economic outlook

As regarding this BIT Port Project's propulsion background, Korea's economic outlook is before everything uncertain in an unlimited age, according to Lee.

The profit rate of Korea's IT industry key products such as semiconductor and cellular phone is declining. Between the pursuit of latecomer countries and the gap with advanced countries, Korea is in a state of a sandwich in which our country technology is behind advanced countries' technology and a latecomer runner's pursuit accelerates.

In such a circumstance, one step advanced development of cutting-edge technology is absolutely necessary, Lee said. About the necessity of bio industry's growth and BT-IT (BIT) convergence technology research, the professor epitomizes in a word that BT industry is a key industry to usher the 21st century and a new technology to substitute electronics/information telecommunication industry.

Keeping an eye on the fact that our country's BT-related research power shows a remarkable growth in recent years, he said that it is vital to develop an alternative such as synergistic combination of BT, IT, and NT in order to maintain current Korea IT technology's superiority.

The fusion technology overcomes a boundary of existing science technology and induces society, economy and culture innovation, Lee explained.

For reference, world each country's research complex is in a tendency which becomes large-sized and complex under the support management of national dimension, in particular in the case of biorelated laboratory like Singapore's Biopolis and Cambridge England's Technopole.

Professor Lee stresses that this BIT Port project aims to forge an internationalization innovation research complex equipped with worldwide competitiveness and name value while developing on the other hand worldwide new technology and new product by developing BT-IT convergence technology.

He has committed himself to present new international cooperation model between university, laboratory and the industrial world at home & abroad as Seoul National University and KAIST team up with foreign university and laboratory.

With its vision to build a 'Creative Bio- IT for New Innovative Milieu', the Head said further that the two universities would do their best to construct the largest Mobile Life Care pivotal complex/test bed in the world through which global talent to lead Korea's future can be nurtured.

By means of technology commercialization of BIT field, economic effect creation amounting to 7 trillion won (US$7.52 billion) over 20 years from the year 2013 the 1st stage formation construction will be finalized, through the year 2032 is expected, according to Lee. Return on investment by field is as follows: patent 200 billion won, technology commercialization 500 billion won, 500 billion won from Start-ups, provision of advanced human resource 200 billion won, job creation 200 billion won, 100 billion won from the value of national brand, 200 billion won from SPC (special purpose company) operation, regional economy 100 billion won, and BIT Port presumption turnover scale 5 trillion won.

Insufficient competitiveness

As regarding this BIT Port project's necessity and expect effect, bio engineering-related research and the same-associated industry are emerging as the core industry to usher national competitiveness in the 21st century.

Nevertheless, governmental BT investment has been continuously increasing in the case of domestic bio engineering, but is largely insufficient in comparison with advanced countries.

In terms of high class manpower supply shortage and technology side too, Lee points out: "In the case of some spheres, Korea holds a cutting-edge, but their competitiveness is insufficient in comparison with advanced countries."

Right now, Korea's key industry groundwork technology is IT as the highest level in the world, but advanced countries won't leave it as it is. In that regard, Korea can't accomplish national competitiveness as a key engine source for the coming future with just IT industry alone. In a point of view that Korea holds its great potential in utilizing worldwide level's IT-based BT field, the largest strategy field of domestic technology will be BIT, a complex convergence technology between BT and IT, Lee underscores repeatedly.

In that respect, the professor said: "Intensive investment about fostering international research collaboration complex, and developing and nurturing cutting- edge future technology are absolutely being demanded."

Korea's Seoul National University and KAIST are being deemed to be the best universities at home, but in terms of world university ranking are still under the 60th place globally and are furthermore behind Japan and China university, according to professor Lee.

KAIST and Seoul National University are being posted as the 37th place and the 34th place in the technology field and bio field respectively. Lee said that this BIT Port project expects to boost to the 10th place circle globally in the field of Bio-IT by converging these.

As this project's expect effect, the competitive superiority as a BT-IT hub in the Northeast Asia is expected to be preoccupied by means of synergy effect maximization through Seoul National University-KAIST cooperation. Professor Lee expected that the BIT Port project would be able to secure BT-IT R&D research capacity corresponding to Global Standard plus boosting medical service's international competitiveness and IT fusion research & development capacity.

This BIT Port project, among others, is expected to contribute to the early activation of the Free Economic Zone and to the spring as an economic hub in the Northeast Asia by contributing to the leap as an economic hub in the Northeast Asia in accordance with the embodiment direction of the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ).

In the light of new economic activity population induction too, employment creation of 7,000 people is expected besides BT-IT field's corporate turnover increase (big company 5%, venture start-up 30%).

A breakthrough for continuous growth engine

As regarding BIT industry's market estimate, the US market uses 15% of the entire GDP for healthcare expenses in the case of 2005. Now that the US GDP is US$12 trillion, the country's healthcare market alone becomes US$1.8 trillion.

The healthcare market throughout the world in 2005 is forecast to reach to US$ 6 trillion, considering that the general developing country uses 9% for their health expenses.

In the year of around 2050, 21% of the entire GDP across 60 countries throughout the world is forecast to become namely healthcare market. In that respect, Healthcare market is an enormous Lot worth market, Lee said.

The scale of medical gadget and electronics medical gadget, adjacent most to BIT industry in existing market, is presumed to be annually US$16 billion right now as 10% scale of the entire medical gadget market. Bioinformatics and biochip market scale which have been formed in recent years as a result of fullscale new concept's BIT industry, are judged to be currently US$20 billion and US$5 billion level respectively.

As regards BIT Project's business content by each Complex under such judgment, BIT Complex aims first of all to form a worldwide leading group in a new concept's convergence research field through a chemical combination of BT-IT field. Professor Lee commits himself to develop the best new product in the world for the 21st century Digital Life Care through the future-oriented research.

Touching upon Mobile Life Care, Lee explains: "In the future society, diagnosis and medical treatment will be possible real-time through cutting-edge IT technology- based medical gadget." In order to actualize the Ubiquitous health society through bio IT convergence technology, the Head said that Mobile Life Care will enable easily medical examination and treatment anywhere by developing BIT medical treatment gadget.

Second, BT Complex aims to globalize BT technology and manpower through an international research complex, developing next-generation medical project's core technology-based new product by utilizing excellent BT research resources.

Third, KAIST IT Complex consists of information telecommunication device zone and information telecommunication culture zone with the view of preparing the future growth engine through the best IT new technology, new industry and new service development globally.

What's more, this IT Complex aims to develop the best new product globally of Mobile Life Care field plus constructing a worldwide R&DB hub of next-generation mobile platform field through multinational IT corporation laboratory inducement.

Fourthly, EB (Education and Business) Complex plans to establish the most cutting- edge cluster-model hospital by connecting international level's laboratory, university and corporation to play a hub role of bio medical industry in the Northeast Asia and at the same time to carry out large-sized cutting-edge national policy research project.

Staple function of this EB Complex will be comprised of technology commercialization zone, BIT manpower nurturing zone, and clinical research zone with a view to building an international hospital centering on Seoul National University hospital, according to Professor Lee.

Finally, Common Facility (CF) Complex will be consisted of BIT Core Office Zone, BIT Life Zone, BIT Residence Zone, and BIT Experience Pavilion Zone.

Concerning the Project's business plan, Professor Lee said: "Project propulsion's basic strategy is to enter into the 10th place circle globally in terms of the core research ability, is to play an incubator role to nurture national BT-IT manpower and technology, is to construct Bio-IT industry cluster, and is to form an innovation- model open research complex."

The Head emphasizes that Seoul National University and KAIST's innovative support system which was one notch upgraded from the existing Seoul National University and KAIST management mode, will be necessary for the sake of transparent management of an advanced corporation level.

From the year 2008 through the year 2017, he estimates business expenses amounting to a total of 1.777 trillion won (US$1.911 billion).

In conclusion, Professor Lee underlines repeatedly: "Constructing a stronghold research complex in the Northeast Asia in which BT and IT are converged at Incheon area, paves the way for a breakthrough which can get continuous growth engine in an unlimited competition era without the boundary."

Turning his attention to the fact that its three success strategies are propulsion will, innovation research's content and operation strategy, the professor proposes for the successful construction of BIO IT innovation research complex: "Securing land and financial resources to build research facilities, second attracting investment and technology by teaming up with prominent research staffs from abroad, and third presenting a vision to Seoul National University and KAIST professors and graduate school students plus constructing a global cooperation environment are indispensable."


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