World's largest biotech convention to host first official session on Korea's rise as innovation hub 2025 BIO International Convention in Boston (Builds Bio+) A flock of Korean biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are heading to San Diego this week with their eyes on expanding global partnerships and securing contracts at the BIO International Convention, one of the world’s largest exhibitions in the biotechnology industry.Samsung Biologics, which will take part in the annual event for the 14th consecutive year, said it will once again set up a large booth with a floor space of 140 square meters at the center stage. The Korean contract development and manufacturing organization, or CDMO, leader will highlight its end-to-end services throughout the four-day event.Samsung Biologics plans to introduce its plant in Rockville, Maryland, which it acquired from GSK at a cost of $280 million last year, and its 60,000-liter drug substance capacity, as it highlights its leadership in the global CDMO market. With the Rockville facilities and Incheon plants in Korea, the company’s total manufacturing capacity stands at 845,000 liters.Marking its 17th consecutive appearance at the global biotechnology event, Celltrion is also returning with a standalone booth to promote not only the existing biosimilar lineup, but also its expanding drug development and artificial intelligence-driven research capabilities, with a dedicated AI zone set up within its exhibition site.“During the event, Celltrion will look to actively promote the company’s future business vision and technological capabilities on the global stage as it is taking a leap into becoming a global new drug developer beyond a biosimilar maker,” said a Celltrion official.“We will expand global partnering based on our next-generation growth engines such as AI-based new drug development platform, (antibody conjugates) and multispecific antibodies, exploring meaningful business opportunities that can lead to Celltrion’s mid- to long-term growth and enhancing our corporate value.”SK Biopharmaceuticals will set up a booth within the event’s digital health and AI zone, exploring cooperation in various sectors such as research, business development and new modality. Under the slogan “SK, AI for Every Patient,” the drug developer will seek to underline how it is using AI to discover new drugs, digitalize R&D and business operations and operate its patient-centered platform.Lotte Biologics’ booth will unveil photos and videos of its first plant in Songdo, Incheon, which is slated to complete construction in August, underscoring the CDMO firm’s dual-site capabilities with its plant in Syracuse, New York. The Korean firm acquired that site from Bristol Myers Squibb at a price of $160 million in 2022.Lotte Biologics will carry out three in-booth presentations — cooperation with Asimov, a leading cell development organization, scale-up strategies using computational fluid dynamics technology for improved efficiency and digital manufacturing capabilities — throughout the event period.For the first time in the history of the global biotechnology convention, there will be an official session covering Korea's biotechnology industry. Titled “Korea Rising: Don’t Be Late to Asia’s Next Innovation Hub,” the discussion will feature representatives from Samsung Biologics, the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization, or KoreaBio, Boehringer Ingelheim, KB Investment, Ildong Pharmaceutical and ABL Bio.KoreaBio’s country pavilion will shed light on 51 Korean biotechnology companies during the event. They will present their key pipelines, platform technologies and research and development achievements through the open stage at the Korean pavilion.This year’s BIO International Convention, also known as Bio USA, is expected to bring over 20,000 attendees from over 70 countries.“Bio USA is a battleground where the global biotech industry’s investment and partnering take place most vigorously,” said Lee Seung-gyu, vice chair at KoreaBio.“As we have bolstered interrelated programs including Korea Night, we will provide full support so that Korean firms can achieve tangible business outcomes with global big pharmaceutical companies and investors.”