DGIST, Yuhan partner to accelerate drug development with AI

South Korea's industry, academia, research institutions and hospitals are joining forces to build a biotech AI transformation ecosystem connecting drug candidates through clinical trials to commercialization.

DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology) announced Friday that it signed an MOU with Yuhan, Jeintz Bio and the Yonsei-Yuhan Lung Cancer Research Institute to pursue joint research on AI transformation, or AX, in the biotech industry.

The agreement links the four institutions' capabilities in science and technology, AI, drug development, biotech industry expertise, and clinical and medical research. It aims to accelerate AI transformation across the biotech sector and translate joint research outcomes into verification and commercialization in research, medical and industrial settings.

Under the MOU, the four institutions will cooperate on: establishing and operating a joint research organization to promote AX; identifying and planning joint AX research projects in the biotech industry; forming and running a joint steering committee and field-specific working groups; integrating each institution's technologies and expertise into AX; co-developing AX technologies and verifying their performance and reliability; validating developed technologies in research, medical and industrial settings and pursuing commercialization; and jointly planning and participating in government and private-sector research and development projects.

Each institution brings differentiated strengths to the partnership. DGIST contributes AI and supercomputing capabilities alongside fundamental science research; Yuhan brings global drug development experience and a commercialization track record; Jeintz Bio adds drug candidate development experience and research execution capacity; and the Yonsei-Yuhan Lung Cancer Research Institute provides patient-centered translational and clinical research expertise.

Of particular significance is DGIST's plan to extend its industrial AX experience in robotics and semiconductors into the biotech field, building a new drug development collaboration model that combines all four institutions' expertise. The partners intend to translate unmet needs in drug development and clinical settings into concrete joint projects, linking AI-based technology development and validation through to field application and commercialization.

"We will bring together DGIST's AI and supercomputing capabilities with each institution's expertise — from identifying joint projects through to verification and commercialization — to create a successful biotech AX model," DGIST President Lee Geon-woo said.

The four institutions plan to launch a joint research body tentatively called the AX Joint Research Lab, and will work with designated leads and dedicated researchers from each institution to finalize plans for joint projects, data sharing and research infrastructure use.