The center, built under a state project led by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, will serve as a testbed for growing laver on land year-round, the food company said Tuesday.
The 9,473-square-metre site will house cultivation tanks, seawater treatment systems and research facilities in a single integrated complex.
At its heart will sit a bioreactor system, billed as the largest of its kind in the country, that fine-tunes temperature, light and nutrients to yield a steady harvest regardless of season.
The first phase focuses on core infrastructure, with a second stage to add processing and storage buildings and sharply expand tank capacity.
Pulmuone has chased the technology since 2021, winning a marine farming license in 2024 and running pilot studies with 10-ton tanks in Taean, on the country's west coast. The company aims to weave production, processing and distribution into a single industrial chain anchored in Saemangeum.
The firm plans to share its model with local fishers and buy up their entire harvest, building what it called a virtuous cycle of stable rural income and reliable raw material. Beyond output, it frames the venture as a hedge against climate shocks and a step toward restoring marine ecosystems.
"The Saemangeum R&D center will be an important turning point for proving and industrialising land-based laver farming technology," said Ahn Deok-jun, head of food tech division at Pulmuone.
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