[Yokohama, Japan = E-Daily Reporter Minji Son ] South Korean pharmaceutical and biotech companies laid the groundwork for global business expansion at “BIO JAPAN 2026.” SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS and Lotte Biologics held a combined total of over 70 business meetings during the event, showcasing the competitiveness of South Korea’s contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) industry. Biotech companies possessing cell therapies or next-generation cell culture technologies also sought partners for clinical trials, manufacturing, and joint research, looking for breakthroughs in technology commercialization and overseas expansion.

According to the pharmaceutical and biotech industry on the 12th, “BIO JAPAN 2026,” held at the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Center in Japan from the 7th to the 9th, concluded its three-day schedule. Participating Korean companies introduced their production facilities and technologies while holding consultations with global pharmaceutical and biotech firms, proposing collaboration plans tailored to specific development stages and drug types.

SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS(207940)The company held approximately 40 business meetings during the event. The presentation session held on the 7th, the first day of the event, was attended by about 200 global industry representatives, who showed keen interest in the company’s “end-to-end” services and its CDMO capabilities across various modalities.

End-to-end services provide integrated support for the entire process from new drug research through development and production. The focus is on reducing the burden on clients of having to find separate partners or transfer processes at each development stage, while ensuring a seamless transition from clinical drug production to commercial production. At this event, SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS introduced these integrated services along with its technology for optimizing the conjugation process for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

James Choi, Executive Vice President of Sales Support at SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS, stated, “Through this Bio Japan event, we have once again confirmed global interest in our advanced technological capabilities, flexibility, and reliability.” He added, “We will continue to participate in various global events to expand partnerships with global clients, including those in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, and do our utmost to swiftly deliver high-quality biopharmaceuticals.”

Lotte Biologics held a total of 30 meetings during the event. The company discussed potential collaborations with clients by highlighting its “dual-site” strategy, which links its production facilities in Syracuse, New York, and Songdo, Incheon. The plan is to combine the production and quality control expertise accumulated in Syracuse with the large-scale production facilities in Songdo to respond to clients’ development stages and fluctuations in demand. Plant No. 1 at the Songdo Bio Campus received its operating permit last June and is set to be officially inaugurated next month.

Shin Yu-yeol, CEO of Lotte Biologics, stated, “Once the Songdo plant is completed, we will leverage it as a key strength.”

Lotte Biologics also emphasized services that integrate development and production in the ADC sector. Since this field requires multiple processes—such as antibody production and drug conjugation—the key is to reduce the burden on clients of having to coordinate each individual process separately. The company is expanding its client base to include not only major Japanese pharmaceutical companies but also research and development projects originating from academia.

Jang Jun-young, Senior Managing Director at Lotte Biologics, explained, “In Japan, major pharmaceutical companies are our primary target,” adding, “At the same time, since there are more academia-based institutions than biotech firms in the region, we are also intensively targeting the R&D projects they prefer.”

Global competitors also highlighted their production networks and development support capabilities. Japan’s Fujifilm and AGC Biologics emphasized their production facilities spanning multiple regions, while China’s Wuxi AppTec highlighted services that bridge the gap from early-stage research through development and production. Alongside production scale, the ability to tailor services to clients’ development schedules, required processes, and target markets formed a key pillar of competition.

Domestic biotech companies were also busy seeking out partners tailored to their respective technologies and business stages. Throughout the exhibition hall, representatives from Korean companies, clutching schedules packed with meeting appointments, hurried to their next consultation. While large CDMO firms targeted production contracts, biotech startups sought opportunities to turn their technologies into business ventures through joint development, local clinical trials, and manufacturing partnerships.

At the booth for “Sakurab-Tsukuba,” the open innovation hub of Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas, two Korean companies were seen meeting with potential partners. T-Cube-It and Avatar Therapeutics were selected for Astellas’ collaboration program and are receiving support for exchanges with local research facilities and expert researchers. Leveraging their respective therapeutic T-cell culture technology and gene delivery technology, they are using the global pharmaceutical company’s research infrastructure and collaboration network as a springboard for business expansion.

Kim Seon-taek, CEO of T-Cube-IT, told Edaily that the goals of participating in this event were to solidify opportunities for joint research with pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and research institutions, as well as to secure development and manufacturing partners in Japan and Series A investors.

Domestic biotech companies also gathered at the “K-Startup Bio” joint booth to showcase their technological competitiveness. Companies such as A-Tems, ORGANOIDSCIENCES LTD., Youth Bio Global, Ipcell, Ilias Biologics, G2GBIO, Inc., Curio Bio, Q-Peak Bio, T-Cube It, and Cell Bio introduced their respective platform technologies and therapeutic candidates currently in development while seeking collaboration opportunities. During the seminar, they presented the uniqueness of their technologies and commercialization strategies through investor relations (IR) sessions, attracting the attention of global investors and potential partners.

At its booth, Ipsell focused on identifying partners to collaborate on the development of its cell therapy “MIUChon” in Japan. While reviewing local development pathways with the goal of entering Japanese clinical trials next year, the company discussed potential collaborations in the areas of clinical trials, manufacturing, and quality control.

ENCell Co., Ltd., a company specializing in cell and gene therapies, sought to attract CDMO clients and expand its network of partners for regenerative medicine business in Japan. The company is preparing a system whereby, once Japanese medical institutions submit plans to provide regenerative medicine treatments, ENCell will produce and supply the cells from its domestic manufacturing facilities.

Park Sang-eon, Director of ENCell Co., Ltd.’s CDMO Business Division, stated, “Our division is actively building a network by traveling back and forth to Japan,” adding, “We expect the Japanese regenerative medicine business to gain full momentum starting next year.”

T-Cube-IT sought joint research and manufacturing partnerships centered on “T-CAMP,” its platform for the culture and manufacturing of therapeutic T cells. This platform aims to enhance the manufacturing efficiency of therapeutic cells by combining culture technology that simulates the in vivo environment with AI-based cell image analysis.

Meanwhile, domestic companies face the challenge of turning the contacts made at this event into actual business opportunities through follow-up discussions. An official from a domestic biotech company who attended the event said, “While many events culminate in signing ceremonies, there were also numerous meetings where participants simply assessed each other’s technologies and collaboration needs,” adding, “In the second half of the year, we plan to share specific data, narrow down the scope of cooperation, and advance discussions that could lead to actual joint research or contracts.”