PRESS RELEASE
No.	PR/20-13	Date	21 September 2020
Contact	Program Inquiries: Jang Boo-young, Program Officer, TIU (02-2287-1138, byjang@aseankorea.org) Press Inquiries: Hwang Jiseon, Senior Officer, IDU (+82-2-2287-1149, hjs@aseankorea.org)
ASEAN-Korea Centre is an International Organization mandated to promote economic and socio-cultural cooperation between ASEAN Member States and Korea.

ASEAN and Korean biotech companies seek greater cooperation amid the COVID-19 pandemi

- ‘ASEAN-Korea Bio Partnering Week’ to be held in conjunction with the Bioplus-Interphex Korea 2020 (Sep. 23-25) -
- 19 pharmaceutical and biotech companies from 5 ASEAN countries to conduct online meetings with their Korean counterparts -

Seoul, Korea - The ASEAN Korea Centre will organize the ‘ASEAN-Korea Bio Week 2020’ on 23-25 September, in conjunction with the “BIOPlus-Interphex Korea 2020”, the largest pharmaceutical and biotech conference in Korea. 19 companies from 5 ASEAN Member States ? Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippine, Thailand, and Vietnam ? will be invited to explore new partnerships with their Korean counterparts through online business meetings.

With increasing demands for international collaboration in disease control, public health, and medical sectors amidst the COVID-19, participating companies will come from various fields such as biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and relevant services. During the 2-day-long online event, they will conduct virtual meetings with Korean investors and buyers to seek cooperation and explore business opportunities in the import/export of products and services, investment consultations, establishment of joint ventures, and technical cooperation.

Lee Hyuk, Secretary General of the ASEAN-Korea Centre noted that “Biotech industry is playing a key role today as the world copes with the coronavirus pandemic. Many countries around the world, including ASEAN, are seeking partnerships with Korea, home to many top-notch biotech ventures and pharmaceutical companies. In a way, the virus, while posing many challenges, has also opened a window of opportunity for greater cooperation and partnership in the biohealth sector. In this regard, the ASEAN-Korea Bio Partnering Week is a timely event bringing together entrepreneurs, professionals, and investors to exchange ideas and build new partnerships in biotechnology.”

The ASEAN-Korea Centre has provided a venue to facilitate business exchanges and cooperation between ASEAN and Korea in the bio industry since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization (KoreaBio) in May 2019.