【Text: Yu-Chien Li, Industry-Academia Collaboration and Incubation Center; Edited by: Public Affairs Section】

【Translated with the assistance of Google Gemini】

【Promotion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) series】 

2026-04-30 The National University of Kaohsiung (NUK) and Virbac, the world's sixth-largest animal health company headquartered in France, held a formal ceremony to sign a technology transfer agreement. The collaboration focuses on the "ASK-K1 Cell Line" developed by the research team led by Professor Chiu-Ming Wen from the Department of Life Sciences. This signing marks the transition of academic research from the laboratory to industrial application, expanding its reach into the global animal health market.

NUK and Virbac have maintained a collaborative relationship since 2018. Over the past seven years, the partnership has yielded six successful industry-academia projects, steadily deepening the research energy and application links in the field of animal biotechnology. The completion of this technology transfer represents a significant milestone, showcasing NUK's concrete achievements in promoting the industrialization of academic results and fostering international connections.

Dr. Chin-Fu Kuo, Director of the Industry-Academia Collaboration and Incubation Center, stated that long-term cooperation with international enterprises not only enhances the practical value of research but also ensures that academic work remains closely aligned with industry needs. This synergy further cultivates talent with interdisciplinary and international perspectives. He emphasized that this transfer is not merely the realization of a single research project but a testament to the university's ongoing commitment to deepening industry-academia and international cooperation.

The core technology of this transfer, the "ASK-K1 Cell Line," is the result of Professor Chiu-Ming Wen’s extensive research in animal cell culture and fish diseases. The cell line enables the highly efficient production of cold-water fish viruses, holding immense potential for the development of aquatic animal vaccines and disease prevention.

Jules Minke, Biological R&D Director of the Virbac Group, noted that the years of cooperation have built a solid foundation of trust. He remarked that NUK’s research capabilities in animal biotechnology are highly competitive on an international scale. Looking ahead, Virbac will continue to drive the commercial application of this technology and further strengthen its R&D partnership with NUK to advance the animal vaccine industry together.

#SDG9 #SDG14 #SDG17 @Industry-Academia Collaboration and Incubation Center @ Department of Life Sciences #Event