Cosmax partners with Seoul, Tokyo universities to develop smart delivery tech

(Cosmax)

South Korea’s Cosmax, a global cosmetics original design manufacturer, said Thursday it has partnered with the University of Tokyo and Seoul National University to develop a next-generation “smart delivery system” that integrates advanced drug delivery principles into cosmetics.

The three parties signed a trilateral global research agreement in Tokyo on Thursday, aiming to develop a new solution that applies pharmaceutical delivery technologies to the fast-growing home beauty device market. Cosmax said the jointly developed delivery system is expected to be completed and commercialized within this year.

Attendees at the signing ceremony included Yun Seok-kyun, head of the Bio Innovation Lab at Cosmax BTI, Horacio Cabral, a professor of bioengineering at the University of Tokyo, and Lee Yan, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Seoul National University.

The collaboration focuses on advancing skin delivery carrier technologies that enhance the absorption of active ingredients when used in combination with beauty devices. The core objective is to develop new polymer-based nanoparticles that respond to device-generated stimuli — such as ultrasound, microcurrent, heat and light — enabling more precise and efficient delivery and release of active ingredients to targeted skin areas.

Under the agreement, Cosmax will oversee overall project design and commercialization strategies for the smart delivery system, while the University of Tokyo and Seoul National University will lead the design, surface modification and development of environmentally responsive smart carriers.

Professor Cabral’s team at the University of Tokyo will work to build a platform that allows easy loading of skin-active ingredients and precise control of release rates, applying polymeric self-assembly techniques to cosmetic development and designing smart nanoparticles that respond to specific environmental triggers.

Professor Lee’s research group at Seoul National University will adapt next-generation drug delivery system (DDS) technologies for cosmetic use, focusing on functional designs that respond to various beauty device signals — including temperature, acidity, ultrasound and electrical stimulation — and selectively bind to targeted skin areas.

Cosmax said it is reviewing plans to link the newly developed nanoparticles with next-generation high-performance skincare ingredients, expanding their application into device-specific ampoules, smart patches and intelligent sheet masks. The company also aims to build a smart cosmetics platform that goes beyond temporary treatment to help maintain skin condition through integrated management of the skin barrier, microbiome and environmental factors.

Cosmax currently maintains joint research partnerships with around 30 institutions worldwide, including Harvard University in the United States, the University of Tokyo in Japan, Fudan University in China and the National University of Singapore, as it seeks to accelerate innovation across the global cosmetics industry.

A Cosmax official said the project represents “an innovative attempt led by Cosmax to combine advanced nano-bio delivery technologies with K-beauty R&D expertise,” adding that the company aims to lead the smart cosmetics category by connecting beauty devices with cosmetics and offering differentiated solutions to global clients.