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From 28 to 29 October, the University of Zurich (UZH) welcomed a delegation of over 20 researchers and life science entrepreneurs from Korea for the 11th Swiss-Korean Life Science Week, focusing on the theme “Unlocking the Power of International Partnerships: Personalized Health”.
The Swiss-Korean Life Science Initiative has become a vital platform for exchange and dialogue between the two countries, bringing together stakeholders from public research institutions, leading hospitals, industry, startups, and thought leaders in healthcare and digital technologies. Jointly supported by the governments and healthcare industries of Switzerland and Korea, this initiative aims to foster the exchange of best practices and knowledge.
UZH and Korea share a strong foundation for research collaboration with 1,300 co-publications across nearly 100 Korean institutions – from universities and research institutes to hospitals – over the past five years alone, with a strong focus on the life sciences. This visit served as an opportunity to deepen existing relationships and foster new connections among researchers from both countries.
As part of the 2024 Swiss-Korean Life Science Week in Switzerland, the Korean delegation began with a two-day visit to UZH. In the first morning session, participants discussed digital health and the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine and healthcare, featuring various presentations and panel discussions.
Professor Titus Neupert, co-director of UZH’s Digital Society Initiative (DSI), kicked off the session by outlining how this interdisciplinary initiative supports digital transformation across teaching, research, and outreach. Professor Onur Boyman, who leads UZH Innovation Hub’s Cluster “Biomedicine & Life Science”, showed how research is translated into practical applications at UZH, highlighting successful spin-offs in biotech and medtech – areas where UZH is particularly innovative with 90% of its spin-offs originating from these fields. Given that the Korean delegation included several representatives from spin-offs, especially in drug development, this topic strongly resonated with the audience.
Later in the morning, discussions focused on various digital health research projects, particularly those involving big data and AI applications. Topics included mobile health, drug discovery, and digital healthcare – areas in which both Korea and Switzerland share substantial expertise. The Korean participants shared insights into AI applications across various domains, from visual cognition to digital healthcare, underscoring Korea's leading role in digital medicine innovation. The ensuing discussion highlighted a mutual recognition of the need to digitize the patient journey and monitor health beyond hospital walls, emphasizing the importance of strengthening health data ecosystems.
In the afternoon, the delegation visited UZH’s Animal Hospital. At the Small Animal Clinic, representatives from UZH’s One Health Institute, including Professor Thomas Van Boeckel, Professor Salomé LeibundGut-Landmann, and Laura Tüshaus, introduced the concept of One Health to the Korean guests. They highlighted ongoing initiatives that connect human, animal, and environmental health. Korean and UZH scientists further explored collaborative efforts on microbes' role in skin health, focusing on “Malassezia” – a genus of fungi impacting skin health across species and continents – as a practical example of interdisciplinary cooperation. In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized that drug-resistant fungal infections pose a serious public health concern globally, emphasizing a global need for new treatments and further research in this area.
On the second day, the delegation visited Balgrist University Hospital, where they toured the novel Operating Room X (OR-X) as well as “Balgrist Campus”, a leading open access research infrastructure for musculoskeletal medicine. This allowed the delegation to gain insights from researchers on how cutting-edge technology can bridge research and clinical practice as well as learn more about the unique knowledge and healthcare cluster of Zurich.
The Korean delegation will continue visiting important life science institutions across Switzerland before the final symposium at the Novartis Campus in Basel on 31 October 2024. At this event, UZH will be represented by Professor Michael Krauthammer, Chair of Medical Informatics, who will speak about opportunities and challenges of AI in healthcare.
The exchange between leading scientists from Korea and UZH underscored the importance of data, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning in advancing personalized, patient-centered medicine. Moreover, the discussions highlighted the need for global collaboration and an interdisciplinary approach that extends beyond human health to advance knowledge and innovation in the life sciences.
Raphael Kunz
