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Busan Metropolitan City Ramps Up Efforts to Attract the National Institute of Dental Research, Holds 6th Working-Level Task Force Meeting

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will hold the 6th working-level task force meeting today (March 9) at 2:00 p.m., hosted by the Busan Institute of Science and Technology Promotion (BISTEP), to prepare for the national competition to establish the National Institute of Dental Research.

The National Institute of Dental Research secured its legal basis for establishment through the amendment of the Health and Medical Technology Promotion Act in January 2024. In December 2025, the Ministry of Health and Welfare completed a research service on “Feasibility and Basic Plan for Establishment,” and specific procedures and directions for the public competition are expected to follow.

Accordingly, the city will use the 6th working-level task force meeting to share progress to date and gather expert opinions. Discussions will focus on proposal planning strategies, improvements, and future plans that can effectively highlight Busan’s strengths as the optimal location and enable practical responses during the evaluation process.

The city has continuously proposed to the central government that the site for the National Institute of Dental Research be selected transparently and fairly through an open competition rather than by designation of a specific area. In October 2025, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that candidate sites would be selected through a competitive process.

With the ministry’s research service now completed, the city plans to prepare its competition response strategy in greater detail, centered on the working-level task force.

In particular, the city will systematically organize Busan’s strengths—including efforts to foster the dental industry, site suitability and expandability, connections with dental industry infrastructure, and policy alignment. It will also further activate collaboration among medical, industrial, academic, research, and government sectors to secure a competitive advantage in the selection process.

Busan is recognized as a city capable of contributing to the development and balanced growth of the national dental industry, serving as a practical research hub that links research, clinical practice, and industry, while also concentrating dental professionals and related industries.

Busan has the highest demand for dental care among non-capital regions, with the proportion of residents aged 65 or older reaching 24.7 percent. The city is home to 1,335 dental clinics and hospitals and 489 dental laboratories, and more than 9,600 people are employed in the dental medical and industrial sectors. Eleven dental education institutions, including the School of Dentistry at Pusan National University, are concentrated in the city, producing more than 600 specialized professionals annually. With such a concentration of dental professionals and industries, Busan possesses optimal conditions for linking research, clinical practice, and industry.

In addition, Busan hosts a diverse range of leading implant companies and related small and medium-sized enterprises, which represent a core field of the dental industry. Four of the nation’s top ten implant companies—including the production facilities of Osstem Implant, Dio, Cowellmedi, and Point Implant—are based in Busan. Furthermore, through collaboration with related institutions such as the Busan Startup Investment Agency, the first organization of its kind established in Korea, the city possesses infrastructure capable of promoting startups and investment in the dental sector.

The candidate site, Myeongji District in Gangseo-gu, offers optimal conditions as the location for the National Institute of Dental Research. It features a smart logistics hub advantageous for exports—supported by Gimhae International Airport, the future Gadeokdo New Airport, and Busan New Port—along with medical and bio infrastructure including the Eco Delta City smart healthcare cluster and major hospitals. In addition, the Myeongji International New Town provides an excellent residential environment equipped with comprehensive education, medical, and cultural infrastructure.

Kim Dong-hyun, Director General of the Future Technology Strategy Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “The dental industry is a rapidly growing high value-added field worldwide and a key sector contributing to the realization of a global biohealth powerhouse. Busan, with its high demand for oral healthcare and strong foundation of dental medical services, is evaluated as the most suitable city for establishing the National Institute of Dental Research. We will further strengthen our bid capabilities by diversifying promotional activities in the future.”