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Seoul Bio Hub: the city's life-science and health startup centre

서울바이오허브 입주와 지원사업

3 min read1 primary sources

Seoul Bio Hub is a life-science startup centre in the Hongneung area, funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and, by its own site, operated by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute. Its own pages describe wet-lab and office tenancy across several linked centres, shared research equipment, and a cumulative record of tenant companies since 2017.

A founder pitching on stage at a Demo Day presentation, slide screen behind him
On this page
  1. Funded by the city, sited by design
  2. Several linked centres, not one building
  3. A published tenancy route for global companies
  4. The cumulative record the site publishes

Not every Seoul startup centre is general-purpose. Seoul Bio Hub's own site describes wet labs and shared research equipment built for life-science and health companies.

Funded by the city, sited by design

The hub's own page places it in Hongneung, in northern Seoul. KIST, Korea University and Kyung Hee University Medical Center sit nearby. Its own site names the Korea Health Industry Development Institute as operator, funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

That location is not incidental. The hub's own page describes the surrounding institutions as the research and hospital network its tenants draw on.

Several linked centres, not one building

The hub's own site lists more than one facility under its name. A BT-IT Convergence Center holds prototype labs and server rooms. A Seoul Industry-Academia Bio Center offers corporate laboratory office space.

A Seoul Bio Innovation Center offers small-scale production capability. The main Seoul Bio Hub building holds standard and lab-capable offices, seminar rooms and conference halls. It also has a shared laboratory with 61 types of general-purpose research equipment.

Facility named on the siteWhat it offers
Main Seoul Bio HubStandard and lab-capable offices, seminar rooms, shared laboratory (61 equipment types)
BT-IT Convergence CenterPrototype labs, server rooms
Seoul Industry-Academia Bio CenterOffices with corporate laboratory capacity
Seoul Bio Innovation CenterOffices enabling small-scale production, common laboratory

A published tenancy route for global companies

The hub's own site states that it "offers partnering office tenancy for global health-care companies." The page as fetched prints no eligibility list by nationality, and no application conditions either. Check a current recruitment notice before assuming a specific tenancy is open to a foreign-founded company.

The cumulative record the site publishes

Seoul Bio Hub's own site states a cumulative record since opening. It counts 279 tenant companies, KRW 463.4 billion in attracted investment, over KRW 77.4 billion in sales, and 1,741 new jobs.

Seoul Bio Hub's four linked facilities in the Hongneung area, and the cumulative tenant, investment, sales and jobs figures its own site publishes.

Those are the site's own published totals, not a per-year rate. Treat the newest posted update as current if you cite this elsewhere.

See the ecosystem guide for where sector-specific centres like this one sit next to general-purpose startup hubs.

Frequently asked questions

What is Seoul Bio Hub?
A life-science and health startup centre in Seoul's Hongneung area, funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Its own site names the Korea Health Industry Development Institute as operator.
Is it one building or several?
Its own site lists four linked facilities: the main Seoul Bio Hub building, a BT-IT Convergence Center, a Seoul Industry-Academia Bio Center and a Seoul Bio Innovation Center, each with different lab capability.
Can a foreign-founded company apply?
The site states it offers partnering office tenancy for global health-care companies, but as fetched it does not print a full nationality-based eligibility list. Check the current recruitment notice's own conditions.
What track record does the site publish?
A cumulative total since opening of 279 tenant companies, KRW 463.4 billion in attracted investment, over KRW 77.4 billion in sales and 1,741 new jobs, per the page fetched for this post.
What equipment is on site?
The main building's shared laboratory is described as holding 61 types of general-purpose research equipment; the BT-IT Convergence Center separately lists prototype labs and server rooms.

Sources

Everything above is the rule as published. See how it applies to your case.

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