SK bioscience, a South Korea-based vaccine and biotech company, announced on Thursday that it will lead the Research Optimization & Trial Outcome Recommender (ROTOR) project, an AI-powered evidence synthesis and clinical development decision-support platform initiative funded by the Gates Foundation, establishing a global collaboration framework.

The project is expected to involve technical collaboration with global health nonprofit PATH, and global technology consulting firm Slalom.

ROTOR is designed to build a platform that leverages AI to analyse diverse clinical, immunogenicity, and scientific datasets generated throughout the vaccine development process. The company says that the platform will support R&D decision-making and optimise clinical development strategies, facilitating more informed and evidence-based decisions under uncertainty. Over time, the platform is expected to evolve into a scalable AI solution applicable across a broad range of vaccines and disease areas.

The platform will be developed and validated using rotavirus vaccine development experience and datasets from both SK bioscience and PATH. By doing so, the initiative aims to strengthen R&D capabilities among vaccine developers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and contribute to expanding global vaccine access. Reusable components of the platform are expected to support broader adoption across the vaccine development ecosystem.