CPHI/ Hi Korea 2026, Korea’s Hub for Pharma, Bio, and Health Innovation, Opens in Seoul

·       478 exhibiting companies from 22 countries and regions

·       International pre-registration share hits a four-year high of 19.6%

·       Multiple conference and seminar sessions oversubscribed

CPHI/ Hi Korea 2026, Korea’s hub for Pharma, Bio, and Health Innovation organized by Informa Markets Korea, opened its doors at COEX in Seoul on August 25 and will run for three days through August 27. The event is supported by major affiliated organizations including the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Korea Fund for Regenerative Medicine, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Korea Health Functional Food Association, Korea Drug Research Association, Korea Invention Promotion Association, and DIPS, while the Bio Zone is co-organized with the Korea Biomedicine Industry Association (KoBIA). A total of 478 exhibiting companies from 22 countries and regions, along with more than 12,000 attendees and visitors from 90 countries and regions, are expected to gather for a global industry networking event.

The exhibition brings together the full spectrum of the pharmaceutical, bio, and health functional food industries, spanning △pharmaceutical ingredients and finished products, △biotech and biopharmaceuticals, △contract development and manufacturing services (CDMO), △health functional ingredients and products, and △lab and analytical equipment and pharmaceutical packaging. Exhibitors from 22 countries and regions, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Greece, India, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United States, Hong Kong, the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, and Thailand, are showcasing a wide range of ingredients, products, and technology solutions.

■ International Pre-Registration Hits Record High... Strong Demand for Conferences and Seminars

Final pre-registration figures show domestic visitors accounting for 80.4% and international visitors for 19.6%. Total pre-registration also rose approximately 7% year-over-year, while the international share climbed 5.6 percentage points from 14% in 2025. The highest figure in the past four years (2023–2026). Visitors from a total of 90 countries and regions, including Korea, registered in advance for this year's show.

Demand for the conference and seminar program has also been strong, generating significant anticipation ahead of the event. Visitor interest spanned a wide range of categories, with health functional foods drawing the greatest interest, followed by OTC drugs, biopharmaceuticals, generic APIs, natural extracts, and CDMO/CMO. It reflects a well-balanced interest across the pharmaceutical and bio sectors as a whole.

■ Three Halls. Hall C, E, and The Platz Hall, Cover the Full Spectrum of the Industry

The exhibition spans COEX Halls C and E as well as The Platz Hall. Halls C and E feature booths from domestic and international pharmaceutical and health functional food companies, with dedicated seminar rooms hosting ongoing technical seminars led by ingredient suppliers and global companies. The Platz Hall also hosts pharmaceutical, and bio company exhibits, alongside biotech startup IR pitching, PSCI sessions, and networking programs. Conference sessions are held in Conference Rooms 317 and 318 on the 3rd floor.

■ From Policy to Next-Generation Modalities... Highlights of the Bio-Pharma Conference

A standout this year is the KDRA Bio-Health Policy Forum, featuring the newly established National Bio-Innovation Committee. Committee member Seo Kyungwon will deliver the keynote on the direction of government support policy for the pharmaceutical and bio-health industries, followed by presentations from the Science and Technology Policy Institute on building a technology commercialization ecosystem, the Pharmaceutical Industry Strategy Institute on global policy trends, and Hanlim Pharma on execution strategies for advancing the drug development ecosystem, concluding with a panel discussion.

The bio-modality sessions will introduce next-generation technologies such as ADCs (antibody-drug conjugates), TPD (targeted protein degradation), radiosensitizers, and quantum drug discovery. In regenerative medicine, the Korea Fund for Regenerative Medicine (KFRM) session will present investment strategies, with the Korea Business Angels Association and the Korea Venture Capital Association introducing investment-linked support programs such as TIPS and Scale-up TIPS, followed by IR pitches from promising companies.

A newly added program this year features a session developed in partnership with the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative (PSCI), a global initiative supporting responsible pharmaceutical supply chains among leading pharmaceutical companies through audit and capability-building programs. The session will feature Kim Hyung-seok, Manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Korea, and James Choi, Executive Vice President at Samsung Biologics, sharing their respective PSCI activities and ESG journeys.

Additionally, the Korea Drug Research Association (KDRA) seminar on microneedle technology will feature presentations from the University of Tokyo, Pusan National University, Raphas, Juvic, Dongguk University, and University College Dublin on vaccine and drug delivery platform development. The DIPS Global Open Innovation Day will bring together Daewoong Pharmaceutical, GC Green Cross, Ildong Pharmaceutical, Boehringer Ingelheim Korea, and the Korea Development Bank to discuss collaboration with promising startups.

■ Health Functional Foods: Comprehensive Content from Ingredient Science to Export Strategy

In the nutraceutical sector, sessions begin with the scientific evidence behind KSM-66 Ashwagandha, followed by a dsm-firmenich session series covering the latest trends in aging, GLP-1, and women's health. On the policy front, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will participate in a seminar on personalized health functional foods, alongside the Health Functional Food Future Forum. Export strategy sessions will offer practical guidance for entering the U.S. (Bent Creek Institute, BioFood Network) and Japanese (Research Mentor, Yano Research Institute) markets. Regulatory agencies from across Asia, including National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), Japan Pharmaceutical Traders' Association (JPTA), and Japan Alliance of Health Food Associations (JAOHFA), will also participate directly to share market-specific regulatory trends.

The distribution trends session will feature leading domestic e-commerce and retail companies — Coupang, Kurly, BGF Retail, and Naver — discussing shifting consumption patterns in health functional foods.

CPHI/ Hi Korea 2026 continues at COEX in Seoul through August 27.

■ Inquiries: Website https://www.cphi.com/korea / Email cphi-kr@informa.com