K-NIBRT helping to solve South Korea's biotech skills gap

A professor from Yonsei University tells us how South Korea is preparing to meet the needs of the fast-growing biotech industry through education and training.

 

Earlier this month, we shared details from our conversation with Brad Stewart, chairman of Maryland Tech Council’s board of directors, who spoke about the strengths and needs of the biotech industry in Maryland, along with his organization’s partnership with National Institute for Bioprocessing Research & Training (NIBRT).

 

As a global organization with a diverse array of partners, it is important that NIBRT remain flexible and able to meet the needs of stakeholders from around the world. According to Gyoonhee Han, professor at Yonsei University in South Korea, NIBRT has done that by establishing the Korean-NIBRT (K-NIBRT) project, which opened in 2024. 

 

Samsung Biologics and Celltrion lead the South Korean biotech industry in revenue and operating profit, with both companies having announced major manufacturing expansions earlier this year. The firms are poised to be major contributors in helping the Korean government meet its goals of doubling biopharmaceutical exports and becoming a top-five global powerhouse in the industry by 2030.

 

Related:Gates Foundation invests in medicines manufacturing to increase drug access

 

But the country can only succeed if it can overcome a major shortage of talent. “While demand for approximately 110,000 new personnel is projected by 2027, the available supply is estimated at around 34,000,” Han told us. 

 

Contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) such as Samsung Biologics and Celltrion require large workforces to continue growing and expanding their global influence, while smaller domestic biotech firms need specialists with R&D expertise as they seek to launch new products. 

 

K-NIBRT is addressing such shortages through a workforce development system and serving as a global hub for biopharmaceutical manufacturing process training. “By adopting the internationally recognized Irish NIBRT education program, [K-NIBRT] operates degree and non-degree courses, aiming to train over 2,000 people annually through antibody process education, vaccine process education, a high school academy, training for experienced female scientists, and training for working professionals,” Han said.

 

K-NIBRT Online Training (KNOT) courses provide one pillar for students seeking to enter the industry or diversify their skillset. KNOT students can participate in six comprehensive modules. Han told us that each module has about 30 lectures that are 40 minutes each, covering a wide array of topics. “Students learn the basics of bioprocessing, antibody drugs, vaccines, cell and gene therapies (CGT), regulatory science, and QA/QC, as well as the biopharmaceutical industry in general and GMP regulations.”

 

Related:Q&A Part 1: Exploring Lithuania’s rise in biotech

 

K-NIBRT’s curriculum also extends beyond online learning by providing hands-on experiences with upstream and downstream processing, fill−finish, and quality control, all using modern equipment. K-NIBRT also offers training for new hires in the Songdo area, where Samsung Biologics and Celltrion both have facilities. 

 

Measuring outcomes

According to Han, trainees have so far reported high levels of satisfaction with K-NIBRT’s curriculum, citing its success in preparing them for actual industry roles in animal cell culture, purification, finished products, and bioanalysis. In 2025, K-NIBRT conducted 28 training sessions for new skills development, reskilling, and upskilling. A total of 3,633 students participated in K-NIBRT training, with 3,434 successfully graduating their chosen program. 

 

“By providing sufficient training sessions to local companies such as Samsung Biologics, K-NIBRT is strategically fostering the talent required by the Korean biotech industry,” Han said.

 

Although K-NIBRT’s efforts will help South Korea achieve its industry ambitions, to truly solve the labor shortage, Han said that a more convergent approach may be necessary. He suggested leveraging the work done in countries such as Canada, the UK, and Ireland. Those countries, he said, “enhance investment efficiency by establishing state-led institutions to run non-degree programs that reflect industry demand.” 

 

Related:Ecolab talks Asian bioprocessing as lab opens in Korea

 

“Given the recent trend in education to embrace micro-degrees and non-degree professional courses outside the regular curriculum, it is worth actively considering whether existing universities should accept completion programs from ministry-established professional institutions − such as the certificate programs of ATAC [Advanced Therapies Apprenticeship Community] in the UK or NIBRT in Ireland − as academic credit.” 

 

If the Korean Ministry of Education agrees to accept education from other ministries, such an approach might help the country achieve its lofty ambitions.

 

 

 

Source: Bioprocess International