After more than two years of correspondence, one of South Korea’s largest biotechnology firms will be opening an office at the ISU research park.

Cheil Jaedang Corporation will relocate two scientists to Ames to begin research.

“We met with several Korean companies during the past three years,” said Jim Bloedel, vice provost for research and administration studies. “This led to visits from [Cheil Jaedang] Corporation to our campus, and we also visited them in Seoul [South Korea].”

“These interactions have been very positive,” he said. “As a consequence the company decided to initiate a formal relationship with Iowa State.”

Wolfgang Kliemann, associate vice provost for research, said the company is coming to Ames in the near future but the exact date is not known.

Cheil Jaedang Corporation manufactures products ranging from foodstuffs, animal feed and bioproducts, processed foods, pharmaceuticals, household products and cosmetics, Bloedel said.

The contract shows the progress toward accomplishing one of the two goals Iowa State has in terms of its research in economic development, Kliemann said.

“The first goal was to initiate biotechnology research involving the [Cheil Jaedang] Corporation,” Kliemann said. “The second is to construct a biological facility in the research park for protein extraction involving researchers from Europe.”

Kliemann said the next step in the collaboration will be to locate a production facility for the Korean firm.

While it is not completely clear what role the corporation will take in terms of research, the company is interested in exploring certain areas that would result in the development of new technology or evaluating existing technology, Bloedel said.

While only two scientists will relocate to Ames from South Korea as a result of the contract, state and ISU officials hope that the contract is the beginning of making central Iowa a biotechnology research hub for the entire country, said Bloedel.

“If the research projects are successful, the company could expand its presence in Iowa and the Ames-Des Moines area,” Bloedel said.