- Senate Chairman Gilani Invites Korean Companies to Invest in Medical Technologies, Research and Innovation
ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani held a meeting with a high-level delegation from the Republic of Korea led by Cho, Chief Executive Officer of KOA-Bio, accompanied by senior representatives of KOA Corporation, Scale Sniper and other leading South Korean companies specializing in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, healthcare innovation and advanced medical technologies.
Welcoming the delegation, Gilani said Pakistan attaches great importance to its longstanding friendship with South Korea, describing bilateral relations as being rooted in mutual respect, trust and steadily expanding cooperation in economic, technological and scientific fields.
Bilateral Relations Offer Significant Untapped Potential
The Chairman Senate noted that Pakistan and South Korea have made considerable progress in their bilateral relationship over the past four decades, with cooperation expanding across trade, investment, technology, education and people-to-people contacts.
While acknowledging substantial growth in bilateral trade, Gilani emphasized that considerable untapped potential remains, particularly in high-value sectors including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and information technology.
He called for greater engagement between businesses, research institutions and policymakers to translate this potential into concrete partnerships and investment opportunities.
Parliamentary Diplomacy to Strengthen Bilateral Ties
Gilani highlighted the important role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting closer relations between the two countries, saying the Pakistan-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group provides an effective institutional platform for dialogue, legislative cooperation and people-to-people engagement.
He expressed the hope that increased exchanges among parliamentarians, policymakers, researchers, academics and private-sector representatives would help accelerate scientific, technological and economic cooperation.
Pakistan Seeks Joint Research in Biotechnology and Healthcare
The Chairman Senate reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to research and innovation, highlighting the country’s growing network of universities, medical institutions and research centres, as well as its pool of young scientists and healthcare professionals.
He encouraged South Korean companies and institutions to establish long-term partnerships with Pakistani counterparts in biotechnology, biologics, precision medicine, pharmaceutical research and medical devices.
Gilani proposed joint research programmes, researcher exchanges, clinical studies and technology partnerships, particularly in the development of innovative therapies for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections and emerging infectious diseases.
AI Identified as Key Area for Future Cooperation
Highlighting the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in healthcare, Gilani said Pakistan was keen to strengthen cooperation with South Korean institutions in AI-assisted drug discovery, precision medicine, bioinformatics, genomic analytics, predictive disease surveillance and digital diagnostics.
He stressed that collaboration in these emerging fields could contribute significantly to healthcare innovation while creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing, research and technology development between the two countries.
Korean Companies Invited to Explore Pakistan’s Healthcare Market
Gilani invited South Korean companies to explore investment and partnership opportunities in medical device manufacturing, technology transfer, local assembly, biomedical engineering, laboratory modernization and digital healthcare solutions.
He noted that Pakistan’s expanding healthcare infrastructure and growing demand for advanced medical technologies offered promising opportunities for mutually beneficial investment, industrial cooperation and market development.
SIFC Offers Investment Facilitation
Briefing the delegation on Pakistan’s improving investment environment, the Chairman Senate said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has established a streamlined single-window mechanism aimed at facilitating strategic investments in priority sectors.
He identified biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, information technology and advanced manufacturing as areas offering significant potential for international investors.
Gilani also encouraged stronger business-to-business partnerships, joint ventures, technology transfer and institutional cooperation between South Korean companies and Pakistani ministries, universities, research organizations and healthcare institutions.
Speakers’ Conference Can Support Innovation and Global Health Security
The Chairman Senate further underscored the role of parliamentary diplomacy in creating supportive policy frameworks for emerging technologies.
He said the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference provides an important platform for advancing policy discussions on innovation, biotechnology, artificial intelligence governance and global health security.
Korean Delegation Expresses Strong Interest in Pakistan
The South Korean delegation thanked Chairman Senate Gilani for the warm reception and expressed strong interest in expanding cooperation with Pakistan in biotechnology, healthcare innovation, artificial intelligence, advanced medical technologies, research and investment.
The delegation also appreciated Pakistan’s growing scientific and technological capabilities and its efforts to create an investor-friendly environment.
The Korean representatives expressed optimism about establishing long-term institutional partnerships with Pakistani ministries, universities, research organizations, healthcare institutions and private-sector stakeholders, signaling growing prospects for deeper Pakistan-South Korea cooperation in science, technology and healthcare innovation.
BY: Nadeem Faisal Baiga
