SAN DIEGO and SEOUL, South Korea, June 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) will take a major step toward expanding K-Bio's global presence and international collaboration at BIO International Convention 2026 (BIO USA), the world's largest biotechnology industry event. Through its participation, SNUH aims to support promising bio startups, showcase its research capabilities in digital health data, and broaden opportunities for collaboration with global investors, research institutions, and industry partners.

SNUH will operate an independent booth at BIO USA 2026, which will be held from June 22 to 25 in San Diego, United States. This marks the first time that SNUH will operate a standalone booth under the hospital's name at BIO USA.

Organized by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), BIO USA is widely recognized as the world's largest biotechnology industry event. It serves as a leading global platform where pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, investors, research institutions, and industry stakeholders gather to discuss technology collaboration, investment, business development, and joint research opportunities. This year's event is expected to bring together more than 20,000 industry professionals from over 76 countries.

Through this participation, SNUH will introduce Korea's hospital-based bio research capabilities and startup incubation model to the global market. In particular, the hospital will focus on promoting the technological competitiveness and commercialization potential of Korean bio companies to overseas investors and partners, while supporting the expansion of the global network of the K-Bio ecosystem.

At BIO USA 2026, SNUH will showcase five promising bio startups currently being supported by the hospital, along with key achievements from its National Strategic Technology Specialized Research Institute. The participating companies include HTnB and MEDIARK, which were selected through the "Global Bio Scale-Up Enterprise Advancement & Transformation (G.R.E.A.T)" project, as well as SNUH-affiliated startups RSREHAB, Idea2Market, and CENYXBIOTECH.

The G.R.E.A.T project, supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea, has been underway since 2024. The project supports promising bio companies within five years of establishment by helping them advance their technologies and strengthen their global business capabilities. With a total budget of KRW 12.6 billion, the project will select 14 companies over six years and provide support for technology development, commercialization, and domestic and international partnering.

MEDIARK, one of the companies selected for the project, is developing gene therapies based on metal-organic framework (MOF)-based nucleic acid delivery technology. HTnB is developing radioprotective agents and dental biomaterials.

Among the SNUH-affiliated startups, RSREHAB is developing rehabilitation medical devices for the treatment of dysphagia, while Idea2Market is conducting research on biosignal-based digital healthcare technologies. CENYXBIOTECH is pursuing the development of next-generation therapeutics using its nanozyme platform.

During the event, SNUH will support participating companies in global business development meetings, investor networking, and overseas partnering opportunities. Through these efforts, the hospital aims to help promising Korean bio companies identify collaboration partners in the United States and other global markets, while enhancing their potential for technology commercialization and investment attraction.

In addition to startup support, SNUH will actively promote its research capabilities in digital health data. Since being designated in 2024 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as Korea's first National Strategic Technology Specialized Research Institute, SNUH has been advancing research on the analysis and utilization of digital health data.

At BIO USA 2026, SNUH will introduce the Korea Health Data Platform (KHDP), a global research platform based on digital health data that the hospital is currently developing. The hospital will also seek opportunities for joint research with overseas research institutions and industry partners. Through KHDP, SNUH plans to demonstrate Korea's capabilities in clinical data utilization and its foundation for digital health research to global partners.

Following its participation in BIO USA, SNUH will also host a related event in the United States on June 26 to further expand global collaboration in K-Bio. The event will be jointly hosted by Seoul National University Hospital, Korea Technology Finance Corporation, and Shinhan Financial Group, and will feature investment presentations by outstanding bio venture companies, seminars by bio industry experts, and panel discussions.

The event will also include an educational seminar linked with Stanford Biodesign. Designed as a practical seminar, the session will help companies more precisely design strategies for entering global markets, building partnerships, and exploring new business opportunities. It is expected to provide participants with an opportunity to understand healthcare innovation methodologies that begin not from technology itself, but from unmet needs.

SNUH's standalone booth at BIO USA and its related local event are meaningful in that they reflect the hospital's expanding role beyond patient care and research. SNUH is positioning itself as an innovation platform that supports bio company incubation, technology commercialization, and connections with global investment opportunities.

At a recent press conference following his inauguration, SNUH President Nam-Jong Paik said, "The research capabilities of Seoul National University and Seoul National University Hospital should lead to a virtuous cycle among academia, industry, research institutions, and hospitals. We will support the technologies and companies created through this ecosystem so they can enter the global market and contribute to Korea's future growth engines."

Sung-Keun Kwon, Executive Vice President for Research at SNUH, said, "We decided to operate a standalone booth at BIO USA to support the global expansion of promising Korean bio companies and to introduce the research capabilities of our National Strategic Technology Specialized Research Institute to the world. We will actively seek opportunities for overseas joint research and global collaboration."

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SOURCE Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH)