Samsung Biologics has unveiled the operational roadmap for its open innovation center, C-Lab Outside, set to launch in July next year.
At the Bio Korea 2026 event held at the Convention and Exhibition Center (COEX) in Seoul on Thursday, Samsung Biologics presented on the topic Samsung Biologics & Lilly Gateway Labs: A Strategic Partnership for Biotech Growth. During this presentation, they detailed specific plans for C-Lab Outside’s operations.
C-Lab Outside is slated for completion by July 2027 in Songdo International City, at Samsung Biologics’ second bio campus. The five-story facility will span 12,000 square meters (about 129,200 square feet), featuring state-of-the-art office spaces, research facilities, and meeting rooms.
Lee Sang-myung, Executive Director at Samsung Biologics, stated that Songdo International City is poised to become the world’s largest biotech cluster by 2030. Its established infrastructure across the entire value chain makes it ideal for open innovation. He added that the partnership with Lilly aims to jointly select and support up to 30 biotech firms capable of developing cutting-edge therapeutics.
The overall management of C-Lab Outside, including the selection and nurturing of 30 resident companies, will be conducted in partnership with Lilly Gateway Labs (LGL).
LGL, impressed by Samsung’s commitment to biotech support, has reportedly decided to enter the Korean market through this collaboration with Samsung Biologics.
This initiative marks the first instance of a global pharmaceutical company’s high-level open innovation program entering Korea in partnership with a local firm. It will also serve as LGL’s second base outside the U.S., following its China location.
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C-Lab Outside will begin recruiting resident companies in the fourth quarter. The program targets early-stage startups at Series B or earlier, excluding those already partnered with global pharmaceutical giants. Residency periods will range from two to four years.
Since its inception, LGL has helped resident companies secure over 3 billion USD in total investments, accelerating more than 50 new drug development programs. This collaboration is expected to significantly boost opportunities for promising Korean biotech firms to break into the global market.
Samsung Biologics plans to continue fostering the growth of the domestic biotech ecosystem, including the establishment of a 250 billion KRW (about 169 million USD) industrial development fund.
A Samsung Biologics spokesperson said that they’re actively exploring ways to maximize synergy within the domestic industry. This includes investments in promising biotech firms through the Samsung Life Science Fund, hosting growth-oriented seminars with local biotech companies, enhancing industry-academia partnerships for specialized training, and promoting the use of locally-sourced materials.
