BioPlus-Interphex Korea opens with record 300-plus firms, including Lonza

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said BioPlus-Interphex Korea 2026 (BIX), one of South Korea's premier biotech events, opened Wednesday at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, running through Friday.

Organized by the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization, the event features more than 300 participating companies operating 600 booths, sharing technology and market trends across biopharmaceutical research and development, manufacturing and production, and exploring partnership opportunities.

The event is set to be the largest in its history, drawing major domestic firms including Samsung Biologics, Samsung Bioepis, Hanmi Pharm and Binex, alongside global biotech materials, components and equipment suppliers and contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) companies such as Lonza, Sartorius, Thermo Fisher and Merck.

Alongside the exhibition, the event offers a range of programs including conferences, business partnering sessions and networking opportunities.

More than 30 conference sessions will feature around 90 domestic and international experts covering key industry issues — AI-driven drug development, next-generation treatment technologies, overseas market expansion and regulatory trends.

The AI Bio M.AX (Manufacturing AI Transformation) zone will showcase AI convergence technologies in the biotech sector as well as key biotech materials, components and equipment.

"South Korea has built the world's largest biopharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and is expanding its presence in global markets," said Lee Min-woo, director general of the Industrial Growth Office at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. "I hope BIX will serve as a starting point for open innovation, going beyond simple information sharing and exchange."