According to the Incheon Free Economic Zone (ifez), the advisory board appointment ceremony was held in Songdo G-Tower and reported that the University of Utah Asia Campus had declared establishing CMI (Center for Medical Innovation)-Asia. Director Lee Won-Jae, Dr. Gregory C Hill, the Chief Administrative Officer at the UAC, and CMI delegations had participated in this ceremony.

   CMI at the University of Utah aims to provide an environment and systems for building innovation in technology and sciences, and is currently ranked as the top US college medical center among those of any others.

   During the ceremony, Bernard Pustule, the CEO of CMI, highlighted the importance of the healthcare transformation in Korea and had explained the role that the center will take part in, especially in Songdo International City.

   Also, they discussed promoting recognition of the UAC, supporting community activities, student mentoring, scholarships, internship programs, cultivating global human resources, and others such as corporate philanthropic activities.  

   Dr. Gregory C Hill also expressed his hope of UAC being a contributor to Korean Corporation’s rise to international success in Utah, and showed high expectation and excitement on the further progress of introducing CMI-Asia here, in Songdo. 

   The expectation of introducing the CMI-Asia had led to the dramatic increase of interests in ‘Korean Silicon Valley’ and in Incheon Startup Park, which will open next month, as well as the creation of the synergy effect generated by the Bio-industry cluster in Songdo. 

   The University of Utah is also planning for the entrepreneurship education program focusing on biomedical and the success strategies for global Bio-startups, introducing Master Degree programs and applying for FDA approval for establishing the Korean health industry a larger presence abroad. 

   Under this decision, the University of Utah has decided to establish the IDEALAB, a project for innovating student’s ideas through training and mentoring programs, and the Launching Lab, which supports the technique commercialization, as a level 1 process in 2021. As a level 2 process, the research and development lab is also planned to be established in Incheon Technopark within 2-3 years.