The National Institute of Toxicological Research has been recognized for its achievements in technological innovation for small and medium-sized enterprises and received the Presidential Citation. The photo shows Director Heo Jeong-du receiving the award. /Photo by ToxResearch
The National Institute of Toxicological Research (referred to as ToxResearch) was honored with a Presidential Citation in the technology collaboration category at the “2025 Small and Medium Enterprises Technology and Management Innovation Expo Merit Awards” hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, as announced on the 5th.
ToxResearch is the only government-funded research institution in the country conducting non-clinical trial R&D, a core technology in the biohealth industry. Since 2020, it has established the Biohealth Innovation Growth Support Center, a dedicated organization for support of technology and management innovation for SMEs, and built an “R&D-commercialization integrated enterprise support platform.” The platform currently supports over 40 SME R&D projects annually.
This platform has been praised for its comprehensive integration of government-supported R&D planning, joint research, commercialization support, and business growth consulting within a single platform, with extensive participation from the research institution’s infrastructure and biohealth sector academia and professional organizations.
Director Heo Jeong-du expressed, “Unlike the traditional focus on R&D support for SMEs and medium-sized enterprises, ToxResearch is leading the creation of tangible outcomes by supporting global commercialization through technology transfer and investment attraction.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups annually selects and rewards institutions and individuals who have led innovation achievements in seven areas, including technology innovation, management innovation, quality innovation, technology collaboration, technical talent, technology protection, and manufacturing innovation.