Changwon Chamber of Commerce and Industry Holds Business Support Project Briefing Session

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Woo-kwon] The Public Projects Division of Changwon Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Chairman Han Cheol-su) will hold a briefing session on government-supported projects for 2020 on the 30th at the 2nd floor conference room of Changwon Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Currently, the Changwon Chamber of Commerce and Industry operates the 'Gyeongnam FTA Utilization Support Center' supported by Gyeongsangnam-do and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the 'Gyeongnam Specialized Industry Workforce Support Center' supported by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the 'Gyeongnam Intellectual Property Center' supported by the Korean Intellectual Property Office.

These centers support local companies in utilizing and responding to FTAs, creating stable employment environments, securing and utilizing intellectual property rights, among other services. The briefing session will provide an overview of the main support projects of these centers for 2020.

The Gyeongnam FTA Utilization Support Center focuses on conducting 'FTA Expert On-site Consulting' to assist export SMEs in utilizing FTAs, the 'Third-party Verification Project for Origin (Comprehensive) Certificates' which reviews and verifies the accuracy of certificates of origin and provides results, and the 'Cooperative Company Supply Chain Linkage Support Project' which intensively supports the center’s projects for parent companies and their partners. Additionally, four resident customs brokers will be available to provide ongoing FTA-related consulting and counseling.

The Gyeongnam Specialized Industry Workforce Support Center supports stable employment environments by assisting employment-leading companies and helping unemployed individuals find reemployment. It also promotes the 'Youth Tomorrow Filling Deduction Program' which encourages long-term employment of youth hired as regular employees in small and medium-sized enterprises and supports companies in securing and retaining young talent.

The Gyeongnam Intellectual Property Center supports intellectual property creation and startup promotion projects targeting local SMEs and prospective entrepreneurs.

To strengthen the overseas intellectual property capabilities of export SMEs, the center runs the 'Global IP Star Company Development' program which comprehensively supports overseas industrial property acquisition, patent mapping, and brand development in non-English languages. It also offers the 'SME IP Direct Support Service' which provides ongoing consultations for intellectual property difficulties faced by SMEs and dispatches external experts to visit SME sites to resolve issues promptly. The 'IP Narae Program' supports companies within seven years of establishment to enter markets stably and grow into small and medium-sized enterprises by enhancing intellectual property capabilities. The 'IP Didimdol Program' helps prospective entrepreneurs discover ideas, patent rights, and link commercialization support to build a growth system for startup companies.

A representative from Changwon Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated, "We hope that the various support projects will assist companies in their business activities," and added, "Since all projects of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry are centered on companies, we ask that you make full use of the support projects introduced at the briefing session."