South Korea ranks No. 1 globally in organoid technology translation … market projected to grow 2.3-fold by 2031

South Korea ranked No. 1 globally in translating organoid research into technology, while the global organoid market is projected to grow about 2.3-fold by 2031.

The National Biotechnology Policy Research Center analyzed trends in papers, patents, industry and investment in a report titled “4P Analysis of the Organoid Field,” published on the 23rd. Organoids are organ-like structures created by culturing stem cells and other cells in three dimensions, and are used in drug development and disease treatment.

According to the report, South Korea’s patent application-to-publication ratio (PPR) over the past 10 years (2016-2025) was 65.9%, the highest among the 10 countries analyzed. The figure was well above China’s (44.5%) and the United States’ (11.5%).

China ranked first in patent applications with 2,674, followed by the United States with 1,410; South Korea ranked third with 842. The report said South Korea stands out in converting research results into technological assets.

However, South Korea ranked ninth, with an RCR (relative citation ratio) of 2.15, a measure of the qualitative impact of papers. The United States ranked first in paper volume, a quantitative measure, with 12,222 papers, while the Netherlands ranked first in RCR, a qualitative measure, at 3.49.

The global organoid market is projected to grow at an annual average rate of 18.31%, from $1.42 billion in 2026 to $3.29 billion in 2031. The report cited market research firm Mordor Intelligence.

Global paper publications increased at an annual average rate of 31.3%, from 614 in 2016 to 7,099 in 2025, while domestic papers rose at an annual average rate of 41%, from 15 to 332 over the same period. Domestic patent applications grew to 220 in 2025 after the first application was filed in 2017.

Domestic investment in organoid research and development (R&D) increased 2.7-fold, from 22.9 billion won in 2021 to 61.3 billion won in 2025. By ministry, the Ministry of Science and ICT (42.5%), the Ministry of Health and Welfare (17.4%) and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (14.7%) accounted for about 75% of the total.

The report said organoid-based preclinical evaluation is emerging as a gateway to market entry as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shifts regulations to replace animal testing. It recommended establishing validation and certification systems to ensure that international standardization led by South Korea through ISO and the OECD translates into industrial competitiveness.