• Fifth GTH-B flagship course on biologics development and manufacturing, co-hosted by Korea’s MOHW and WHO, with support from the IFEZ Authority and the GTH-B Support Foundation.
• Two-week program to train over 150 participants to strengthen manufacturing capacity and ecosystems in LMICs, while enhancing pandemic preparedness and global health security.

16 June 2026, SEOUL, Republic of Korea — The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is delivering the 2026 Introductory Course for Biologics Development and Manufacturing, a flagship two-week program under the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B), starting 16 June in Yeongjongdo, Incheon.

Jointly led by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) of the Republic of Korea and the World Health Organization (WHO), GTH-B is a global initiative aimed at strengthening vaccine and biologics manufacturing capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), while reinforcing Korea’s role in global health. Supported by MOHW, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, and the GTH-B Support Foundation, the program seeks to expand equitable access to life-saving vaccines and enhance pandemic preparedness and global health security.

Now in its fifth year, the course will bring together 110 participants from 36 countries, including professionals from vaccine manufacturers, public health agencies, and research institutions, alongside 48 participants from Korean biotech companies and academic institutions. Participants were selected through a competitive process led by MOHW and WHO.

The curriculum covers the full vaccine and biologics value chain—from discovery and development to manufacturing and implementation. Core topics include product discovery, process development, clinical trials, quality management, regulatory systems, and vaccine introduction. The course is delivered by an international faculty drawn from public and private sector organizations, including the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, IVI, and leading vaccine manufacturers.

Participants will also take part in site visits to leading bio-health organizations across Korea, including Thermo Fisher Scientific, Woojung Bio, Samsung Biologics, GC Biopharma, ST Pharm, the M Lab Collaboration Center (Merck), and the Vaccine Bio Research Institute of the Catholic University of Korea at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital. These visits will provide firsthand insight into advanced manufacturing processes and quality systems.

Through this training, IVI aims to equip participants with both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to strengthen manufacturing ecosystems in their home countries, while fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange across regions.

Established in 2022 by MOHW and WHO, GTH-B was created in response to inequities highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its designation as an operator of the GTH-B courses, IVI has reached over 4,000 professionals worldwide through both in-person and online programs, including the Introductory Course for Standard Practice (GxP), in collaboration with the GTH-B Support Foundation and its network of campuses.

Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI, said, “The GTH-B program brings together Korea’s advanced biomanufacturing capabilities and IVI’s technical expertise to help build a skilled global workforce. This is not only theoretical training, but practical learning designed for immediate application across laboratories, manufacturing facilities, and regulatory settings. It contributes to sustained efforts to strengthen human capacity, foster professional networks, and support institutions—enabling resilient, locally grounded, and globally connected manufacturing systems.”

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About the International Vaccine Institute

The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is an independent international organization originally established at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme in 1997. Its mission is to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines—empowering vaccine equity, impact, and sustainability globally.

IVI’s current portfolio includes vaccines in multiple stages of pre-clinical and clinical development targeting infectious diseases that significantly impact low- and middle-income countries, including cholera, typhoid fever, chikungunya, shigellosis, salmonellosis, schistosomiasis, hepatitis E, HPV- and group A strep-related diseases, and COVID-19. IVI developed the world’s first low-cost oral cholera vaccine and a new-generation typhoid conjugate vaccine, both pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

IVI is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea with a Europe Regional Office in Sweden, an Africa Regional Office in Rwanda, a Country Office in Austria, and a Country and Project Office in Kenya. IVI additionally co-founded the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute in Hong Kong and hosts Collaborating Centers in Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ethiopia, Nepal, and Madagascar. 43 countries and the WHO are members of IVI, and the governments of the Republic of Korea, Sweden, India, Finland, Austria, and Thailand provide state funding. For more information, please visit https://www.ivi.int.