-Scheduled to be completed by December 2007. 
-It will play the role of a leading R&D cluster. 

The province’s R&D cluster formation project is being carried out in full swing, with commencement of the work for hi-tech research facilities in the Gwanggyo Techno Valley. 

On July 15, the provincial office held a ceremony for commencement of the work for the 
Gyeonggi Bio Center, with more than 500 people attending, including Gyeonggi Governor Sohn Hak-kyu, Provincial Council member Oh Byung-ik (Chairman of the Economic Investment Committee), Suwon Mayor Kim Yong-suh, Presidents of Ajou, Kyunghee and Sungkyunkwan Universities. The center is expected to contribute to BT-related R&D activities and their commercialization. 

In his congratulatory speech, Governor Sohn Hak-kyu stressed the importance of development of the BT industry, saying that the technology will create new markets as a growth industry and involve a wide range of technological integration. 

He added that the center would be made to play a central role in converging capabilities of the nation’s BT industry for efficient operation of all R&D, technology transfer, and commercialization activities carried out by businesses, universities, and research institutes. He said that the provincial office would provide positive support for it so that it may contribute to enhancement of the national competitiveness in the bio industry in cooperation with more industrialized countries. 

A ceremony for hanging the sign for Gyeonggi Bio Center 

On the same day, the ceremony for hanging the sign for the Gyeonggi Bio Center was held at the entrance to the Gyeonggi Small and Medium Business Center building, with many dignitaries attending, including Gyeonggi Governor Sohn Hak-kyu, Provincial Council member Oh Byung-ik (Chairman of the Economic Investment Committee), Suwon Mayor Kim Yong-suh, Presidents of Ajou, Kyunghee and Sungkyunkwan Universities. 

Gyeonggi Bio Center will specialize in activities related to evaluation of medications and their efficacies, and development of cell therapy products/bioscience-based new materials 

It will cost a total of 85.6 billion won to build the 9,688-pyeong (=32,000 m²), 15-story Gyeonggi Bio Center building. 

The center will house joint research/support teams participated in by Ajou, Kyunghee and Sungkyunkwan Universities and businesses, utilizing high-end research equipment and devices there. 

The center plans to focus its R&D activities on evaluation of medications and their efficacies (by the Sungkyunkwan University team), development of businesses related to immunity, gene/cell therapy products, as well as new composite materials (by the Ajou University team), and commercialization of bioscience-based technologies and Western medicine/Korean traditional medicine-related applied technologies (by the Kyunghee University team). It will also establish a system for sharing R&D results and their commercialization through joint R&D projects and technological cooperation with those concerned. 

The 86,000-pyeong (=284,300 m²) Gwanggyo Techno Valley Hi-Tech R&D Complex in which the center will be located will house the Nano Material Fab Center (scheduled for completion in April 2006), the Hwang Woo-suk Internal Organ Research Center (scheduled for commencement in September), the SNU Next-Generation Fusion Technology Institute (scheduled for commencement in October), and the R&D Business building (scheduled for commencement on July 26). Thus, the center will emerge as a mecca for development of high-end technologies through mutual cooperation and joint research projects among those located there. It is also expected that synergistic effects will be maximized in researches related to BIT and BNT with cooperation among aforesaid prestigious research centers.