According to Yonhap News,



Hwasun-gun, Jeonnam-do (South Jeolla Province) has attracted a healthcare research institute and accelerated construction of infrastructure in order to grow into the mecca of the biopharmaceutical industry.



According to Hwasun-gun on August 31st, the groundbreaking ceremony for the healthcare research institute of Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR) was held at the Biopharmaceutical Industrial Complex in Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun in the morning.



The healthcare research institute will be built in the area of 33,000 square meters by 2013 with the total investment of KRW 29 billion including the state fund of KRW 10.5 billion. The total building floor area will be 9,900 square meters. The institute will be responsible for testing, evaluation, and certification of healthcare materials, which is absolutely needed for the biopharmaceutical industry.



Hwasun-gun said that it has now reached a turning point in developing itself into the hub of the vaccine industry in East Asia, as it has laid the foundation for clinical trial, evaluation, and certification by attracting the research institute. In building infrastructure for Hwasun Biomedical Cluster, it has been said that clinical trial, evaluation, and certification are the weak points.



The research institute will support testing, evaluation and certification for about 3,000 companies in the southwestern region of Korea, and play a preemptive role in the healthcare material industry. It is expected that 20 companies will be nurtured, around 100 jobs will be created, and the economic effect will be worth KRW 300 billion.



An official of Hwasun-gun said “we will be able to verify the effects of bio-resources with the completion of the healthcare research institute, which will contribute to making resources the high-tech industry and securing the safety of biopharmaceutical products.



Source Text



Source: Yonhap News (August 31, 2010)



**This is an English translation of a Korean news article.