National Biotechnology Research Park (NBRP) signed 2 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on July 24, 2019 with Shonan Health Innovation Park (Shonan iPark) and AstraZeneca.
To enhance organizational operations and activities, former Chair of the Joint Committee of National Biotechnology Research Park (NBRP) and Vice President of Academia Sinca, Dr. Fu-Tong Liu, highlights the MoU will allow for exchange of information, events, and utilization of both parks’ mutual services and contents. Thereby contributing to the success of their tenants and achievement of the mission and vision of both parks.
NBRP focuses on precision and translational medicine research, Taiwan Biobank, therapeutic antibody development platforms, comprehensive phenotyping as well as drug safety and efficacy evaluation facility using mice and rat models. Built with the expertise of a global pharmaceutical company, Takeda, Shonan iPark has cutting-edge R&D technologies and facilities, as well as rich management and entrepreneurial experience in translating discovery to new drug approval, especially in small-molecule drugs.
Dr. Liu expects that with the alignment of both Parks’ technologies, it will raise the R&D momentum and shorten the commercialization timeline of the tenants, therefore increase the return on investment of both Parks.
Dr. Toshio Fujimoto, the General Manager of Shonan iPark, was grateful to sign the MoU with NBRP and be invited to give a presentation in the Bio Asia-Taiwan Conference. Shonan iPark has facilitated the alliance of industry, government, and academic organizations relating to healthcare, and venture capital segment, thus become a vibrant ecosystem that drives entrepreneurship and partnership. 47 Local and overseas companies and organizations with diverse technologies in drug discovery, pharmaceuticals, medical instruments, healthcare, as well as medical artificial intelligence and robotics are in operation at Shonan iPark.
Dr. Fujimoto anticipates that collaborations with NBRP, it will enhance the resources, opportunities, and success rate of innovative R&D in life-science and medicine. Enhancing commercialization and technology transfer, with the goal of providing more and better solutions to patients and human health in the world.
NBRP and AstraZeneca will combine their respective biomedical and start-up expertise to provide mentorship to the participants of the joint biomedical acceleration program. AstraZeneca is uniquely placed to support Taiwanese innovative teams that seek to develop and commercialize new medicines, medical devices or digital solutions that can help patients around the world with diseases such as cancer, diabetes and asthma.
Dr. Han-Chung Wu, the acting-CEO of BioHub Taiwan in NBRP, said that a training program will be delivered by experienced teachers in Taiwan, and each team will be assigned a highly qualified AstraZeneca mentor based on its interests in for example science, R&D or commercialization, who will guide the team over the duration of the accelerator program.
The signing of the MoU was conducted under the witness of representative officials and executives from Executive Yuan, Academia Sinica, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Science and Technology, Industrial Development Bureau, NBRP, iPark, AstraZeneca, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company (Takeda) in Japan, Asia Pacific, and Taiwan, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries Promotion Office, Development Centre for Biotechnology, Biomedical Commercialization Centre, and Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, together with the Organizer and the guests of 2019 Bio Asia-Taiwan Conference. [APBN]