The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Roche Diagnostics Korea for global research cooperation support projects.
The agreement is part of the Korea-Swiss global pharmaceutical company joint research support project, which is part of the global research cooperation support projects supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and KHIDI.
In connection with Roche Diagnostics' open collaboration model, the project's goal is to carry out joint projects with domestic research institutes in the field of medical devices and digital healthcare, and to explore potential collaboration opportunities among stakeholders in the healthcare industry ecosystem.
As part of the project, KHIDI, Roche Diagnostics Korea, Roche Diagnostics APAC, and Roche Korea plan to collaborate on developing medical devices such as pre-screening, early diagnosis, home monitoring, patient monitoring, and point-of-care.
The involved parties will also focus on research and development in the field of digital healthcare, such as developing wearable devices linked to the EMR platform that can be used in hospitals and at home.
KHIDI plans to select domestic research institutes in the field of medical devices and digital healthcare that will participate in the project and serve as a bridge connecting the selected domestic research institutes and Roche, and help them secure an international network base for improving their research competitiveness and commercialization.
Roche plans to collaborate with internal experts at domestic research institutes according to the global Roche Diagnostics innovation framework and provide mentoring and support the growth of such institutes.
"It is a special feeling to realize open innovation with competitive Korean research institutes in the field of medical devices and digital healthcare through this MoU agreement with KHIDI," Roche Diagnostics Korea general manager Kit Tang said. "Going forward, Roche Diagnostics Korea will continue to make multifaceted efforts to build a collaborative ecosystem with an open mind for mutual growth as a reliable partner of domestic industries and companies."
KHIDI President Cha Soon-do also said, "We hope that this business agreement will serve as an opportunity to enhance the global competitiveness of domestic biohealth research institutions and prepare a foothold for global expansion and business expansion."