From CDMO to AI, Korean biotechs make their case at BIO USA 2026

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — By Lee Han-soo / Korea Biomedical Review correspondent — Korean pharmaceutical, biotech, hospital and academic players are making a broader global partnering push at the 2026 BIO International Convention, or BIO USA 2026, which kicked off its four-day run in San Diego, California, on Monday.

Held at the San Diego Convention Center under the theme “Driven by Purpose,” this year’s event is expected to draw about 20,000 registrants, with more than 40 percent coming from outside the U.S.

According to BIO USA 2026 organizers, the convention brings together participants from more than 68 countries, over 1,600 exhibitors, more than 150 sessions, over 950 speakers, nearly 10,000 partnering delegates and an expected 70,000 partnering meetings.

Korean participants are using this year’s convention to promote CDMO competitiveness, biosimilars, AI-driven drug development, oncology pipelines, RNA therapeutics, hospital-based startups, university-originated technologies and global licensing opportunities.

Korea Biomedical Review captured scenes from the exhibition floor, where Korean companies, global service providers and national pavilions competed for attention in one of the world’s largest biotech partnering events.