Research to develop new drugs using natural Korean medicinal herbs and the traditional knowledge database of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) is being attempted for the first time in Korea.

KIPO announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Bio-Synergy Research Center (BSRC) on November 26 for the use of its traditional knowledge database.

It is the first time that KIPO’s database will be used for research and development purposes. Under the MOU, KIPO will provide access to the database, in operation since 2005, to KAIST and the BSRC and later add the results of the teams’ research to the database.

The database currently contains 350,000 entries on Korean medicine, traditional food, and intangible cultural heritage.

KAIST and the BSRC will be able to use the data to develop new drugs and technologies to analyze the components of natural drugs.

“Opening our traditional knowledge database to universities and research centers is highly beneficial and meaningful as it can be used in the cutting-edge biofusion field. We plan to actively open KIPO’s public database to the private sector to develop new engines for growth,” said KIPO Commissioner Kim Young-min.