COPHEX is Korea’s longest-running international exhibition dedicated to pharmaceutical machinery, laboratory equipment, packaging, raw materials, bio-processing and contract services. Scheduled for 14-17 May at KINTEX, Goyang, the 36th edition expects more than 450 exhibitors from 25 countries and 28,000 trade visitors. The four-day, in-person event is co-located with the Korea Pharm show and is endorsed by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, the Korea Food & Drug Administration and the Korean Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association. The target audience covers R&D managers, plant engineers, QA/QC specialists, production directors, C-suite executives, regulatory consultants and purchasing teams from finished-dose, biotech, API, nutraceutical and cosmetic companies.

A high-level conference runs parallel to the expo. The 2024 keynote roster features Dr. Ji-won Park, head of the Korea National Institute of Drug Safety; Prof. Sun-ung Park of Seoul National University on AI-driven drug discovery; and global vice-presidents from Bosch Packaging, Sartorius, SK Bioscience and Samsung Biologics. Sessions are grouped into six tracks: continuous manufacturing, digital validation, sterile filling, bioreactor scale-up, serialization for global supply chains, and emerging K-bio CMO capacity. Daily panel debates will address the new PIC/S GMP Annex 1 revision and the coming Korean “Track & Trace” mandate.

The exhibition floor is segmented into seven zones: pharmaceutical machinery, laboratory and analytical instruments, packaging and printing, clean-room and HVAC, raw materials and excipients, bio-processing and single-use systems, and contract services. Highlights include a live demonstration line that will run 200 vials per minute using robotics and vision inspection, a “Start-up Valley” where 30 Korean biotechs pitch to investors, and a buyer-matching program that pre-schedules 1,200 one-on-one meetings between accredited visitors and suppliers. Safety features include a carbon-neutral booth certification, paperless badge system and on-site hydrogen fuel-cell power.

COPHEX 2024 aims to accelerate technology transfer into Korea’s rapidly expanding biopharma sector, forecast to reach USD 59 billion by 2027, and to help local manufacturers meet escalating global demand for Korean vaccines, biosimilars and CDMO services.