국제백신연구소 (IVI)

IVI was pleased to welcome a group of Kenyan experts in the bio vaccine field—including representatives from Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya-AIST), Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kenya BioVax Institute Limited (KBI), Science for Africa Foundation, and other institutions—as part of the Kenya Bio Vaccine Expert Training Program, hosted by Prof. Kangho LEE of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Senior Advisor to IVI. Today’s visit to IVI was one stop on a week-long program featuring classroom training, site visits, laboratory sessions, and expert roundtable discussions, all designed to strengthen scientific and technological collaboration between Kenya and Korea through the growing Global Tech World platform. At IVI, the delegation learned about our laboratory science and clinical development activities, explored ongoing IVI–Kenya collaborations, and toured our laboratories. This engagement marks another step toward advancing cooperation between Kenya AIST, KAIST, and IVI, and supporting Kenya’s vision to become a regional hub for vaccine education and research in East Africa. As Prof. Emmanuel Mutisya, PhD, Chairman of Kenya AIST, shared, Kenya is ready to lead in vaccine R&D and training. Together, we continue to strengthen partnerships that build local expertise, foster innovation, and make vaccines accessible for all.

Bold ideas and innovations are shaping the future of vaccines—one that promises to protect and promote health at every stage of life. At the World Vaccine Congress Europe in Amsterdam, IVI Director General Dr. Jerome Kim moderated a distinguished panel of global experts to discuss “Frontier Technologies in Vaccine Innovation: What Are the Market Trends and How Is Innovation Addressing Evolving Health Threats?” Exploring how emerging scientific advances and new technological approaches are reshaping the vaccine landscape, the session underscored progress toward more effective, sustainable, and inclusive immunization solutions—mirroring IVI’s commitment to innovation, collaboration, and a more equitable global health future.

It is a profound honor for IVI to receive the Award of Excellence from the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, in recognition of the expertise, professionalism, and dedication demonstrated in leading the Advancing Research Capacity in West Africa (ARC-WA) project.   ARC-WA is strengthening clinical trial infrastructure across West Africa, building resilient, self-sustaining health networks capable of responding to emerging health challenges, in collaboration with the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and with funding from CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations).   🔗 Learn more about how ARC-WA is paving the way for West Africa’s future preparedness: https://lnkd.in/gJ3N5em2

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute, a partnership between The University of Hong Kong, University of Cambridge, and IVI, was officially inaugurated in Hong Kong with a plaque-unveiling ceremony, marking an inspiring milestone in our shared mission to advance global health and pandemic preparedness. Dr. Florian Marks, IVI Deputy Director General and Co-Director of HKJCGHI, joined fellow Co-Directors Prof. Leo Poon (HKU) and Prof. Ravindra Gupta (UCAM), along with Dr. Frank Konings, Program Director of HKJCGHI, at the inauguration ceremony. We’re grateful to The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for the generous support that made the establishment of HKJCGHI possible. Together, we are advancing vaccine innovation, surveillance, and education to empower a healthier future for all. 🔗https://lnkd.in/gAejrncj

With its economic growth and expanding scientific capacity, Africa stands poised to become a substantial market for vaccines while leading vaccine innovation and production. A new paper in The Lancet Global Health led by IVI researchers presents a comprehensive overview of Africa’s vaccine ecosystem, drawing on publicly available data to map the full end-to-end value chain: research and development funding, clinical trials, regulatory capacity, and manufacturing readiness. The analysis shows that Africa received under 2% of global vaccine R&D funding between 2007 and 2023, and only 8% of global clinical trials included African sites. Yet progress is accelerating. Eight national regulatory authorities have reached WHO Maturity Level 3 and several countries are planning vaccine production facilities. Strengthening the end-to-end vaccine value chain is crucial to supporting Africa’s health-care ecosystem, achieving self-reliance in meeting public health needs, preparing for infectious disease outbreaks, and reducing dependence on non-African suppliers. With coordinated investment and collaboration, Africa can achieve the African Union’s goal of producing 60% of its vaccines by 2040—advancing both health security and vaccine sovereignty. Read the full study: https://lnkd.in/eCbfumFJ

IVI project teams were delighted to welcome Ritu Banerjee, Head of Health Emergency Readiness Canada, to our Headquarters in Seoul. We look forward to continue working closely with partners in Canada to amplify the impact of safe, effective, and affordable vaccines against emerging health threats.

IVI is proud to participate in the World Vaccine Congress EU 2025, where we presented a bold vision for global health innovation through the Korean ARPA-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health) initiative. In collaboration with the K-Health MIRAE (Medical Innovation Research And Evolution) team, we’re driving mission-oriented R&D to address some of the world’s most pressing health challenges—from pandemic preparedness to rare disease solutions. Our joint efforts under the Korean ARPA-H framework, a key pillar of the K-Health MIRAE initiative, aim to revolutionize vaccine development, accelerate biotech breakthroughs, and enhance global health security. Supported by Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare and KHIDI, this partnership reflects IVI’s commitment to pioneering decentralized vaccine manufacturing and ultra-rapid mRNA platforms. The model of a mobile manufacturing unit pictured is an innovative system designed to produce up to 1 million doses of mRNA vaccines within 100 days—enabling rapid response during the early stages of a pandemic.  Let’s shape the future of global health—through the power of partnership and innovation. 

Building stronger vaccine systems starts with building local expertise. IVI empowers scientists and policymakers from around the world to ensure vaccines are developed for and by the countries and communities that need them. It’s part of our mission. We recently proudly concluded the six-month fellowship of two professionals from the Institute for Clinical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia: Farah Binti Razali and Chew Chun Keat. Hosted within IVI’s Clinical, Assessment, Regulatory, and Evaluation (CARE) unit, their fellowship is part of our ongoing commitment to capacity building in terms of knowledge exchange and strengthening vaccine development  in low- and middle-income countries and beyond. 💬 Chew Chun Keat reflected on his country’s aspirations for vaccine self-sufficiency: “We came to IVI to really learn how to do early-phase trials. Why is it important? Because we want to be a self-sufficient nation in vaccine development and manufacturing. It’s quite a privilege and an honor to be part of Malaysia’s national roadmap—and to gain exposure from a global organization like IVI.” 💬 Farah Binti Razali emphasized the professional and cultural value of the fellowship: “Through all the discussions with different teams at IVI, we saw how everyone knows their role, takes responsibility, and contributes openly. That work ethic, that collaboration—it’s something I hope we can bring back to Malaysia.” 💬 Tarun Saluja, Director of Clinical Development at IVI, shared: “We bring fellows in and expose them not just to theoretical design but to real-world execution—from study designing, protocol and other regulatory dossier writing to study execution via site visits. From day one, we asked: ‘What do you want to learn?’ It’s not just a curriculum—it’s a conversation. Training matrix was developed as per specific needs of the fellows and was executed through IVI subject matter experts.  Now we hope they carry that knowledge back and share it further. Be ambassadors.” As IVI continues to foster global partnerships, we celebrate the commitment of our fellows to advancing vaccine research and access in their countries.

Connecting expertise across borders is essential to strengthening global health. IVI was glad to welcome to our headquarters in Seoul 32 fellows from ten countries across Africa and Asia as part of the 2025 Dr. Lee Jong-wook Fellowship Program, a healthcare workforce training course supported by the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare . IVI colleagues shared insights on clinical development and epidemiology and provided a tour of the laboratories to see vaccine research in action. By sharing knowledge and experience, IVI contributes to building capacity for sustainable vaccine development and equitable access to vaccination worldwide.