Gangwon Province announced Thursday it will build a comprehensive performance evaluation center for in-vitro diagnostic medical devices, drawing 15 billion won ($9.65 million) in national funding and 15.5 billion won in local government funds — a total of 30.5 billion won — through a new project selected under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's "Bio-Industry Open Ecosystem Development Promotion Project."
The Bio-Convergence Industrialization Support Center, to be built within the Chuncheon Bio-Industry Promotion Agency and scheduled for completion in 2030, will serve as a one-stop infrastructure hub covering safety testing of in-vitro diagnostic devices, provision of standard specimens, and support for domestic and international certification.
Gangwon Province has channeled support into Chuncheon as a base for the domestic in-vitro diagnostics industry, backing initiatives that include building an in-vitro diagnostics industrialization platform, training field-ready specialists and developing a practical digital lab-on-a-chip platform.
The new project is expected to inject fresh momentum into the domestic in-vitro diagnostics ecosystem, building on the infrastructure and technical capabilities the province has accumulated.
Once the center is fully operational, companies in the province are expected to see significant relief from difficulties caused by the absence of local testing and certification institutions. Delays and cost burdens that arose from relying on facilities in the Greater Seoul area and other regions will be eliminated, accelerating product development for local firms and strengthening the global competitiveness of South Korea's in-vitro diagnostic medical device industry.
The Korea Construction Living Environment Testing Institute, which holds recognized expertise in medical device testing and evaluation, will lead and oversee the project. The Korea AI Medical Healthcare Research Institute, Kangwon National University Hospital and the Chuncheon Bio-Industry Promotion Agency will join as partner institutions, forming a close industry-academia-research-hospital collaboration network to maximize the project's specialized capabilities.
"With the establishment of this center, companies in the province will not only be relieved of the time and cost burdens of traveling to other regions, but will also be able to receive top-tier testing and evaluation services quickly, right here in nearby Chuncheon, accelerating the commercialization of their products," said Han Yeong-seon, director of the Gangwon Province Industry Bureau. "We will continue to spare no effort in providing diverse support to ensure the stable development and vitalization of the in-vitro diagnostics industry ecosystem."
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