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The two institutes of the Fraunhofer Life Sciences Alliance set new standards in their cooperation with international partners in nanotechnology and molecular biotechnology. Both the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB) in Stuttgart and the Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) at the sites in Schmallenberg and Aachen are working together with their Korean partners in expanding the exchange of technology and knowledge.

Research Centre, Meeting Point and Symposium

Working together with the united Universities in Pusan and Myiang as well as the local provincial government, the IGB established a Joint Research Centre for Nano and Biotechnology (JRC). In addition, the IGB organised a Meeting Point in Korea and a Symposium, also attended by Germany's Federal Minister, Dr. Annette Schavan, in the run-up to the inaugural event. These activities made it easier to make new contacts and to create a new awareness of the successful German-Korean cooperation.

The IME also intensified its collaboration with South Korea. The focus was on the value-added chain "from gene to pharmaceutical product" and its clinical testing. To this end, the IME initiated two workshops. The first served to expand the bilateral contacts and included visits by the German delegation to local Korean companies. The second workshop addressed the topic "from gene to protein to authorisation" and focused primarily on basic research, in particular on the joint planning of educational grants and on expanding the training concept at the universities.

Exchange programmes and joint projects

All those involved found this cooperation to be exceptionally successful. So-called 2+2 projects, further exchange programmes, and mutual and reciprocal visits are planned and, in some cases, have been firmly agreed. The staff at the IGB, in particular, are pleased over the good contacts with the Pusan National University and the JRC. The IME and its partners, as well as the Korean University, the Korean Research Foundation, and representatives from business and industry – including Dobeel Co. and Sartorius Korea Biotech – have placed further collaborative projects and mutual visits on the agenda.