Interior view of the Small and Medium Business Technology Innovation Center (Image source: Technology Innovation Center)
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daeseop] The 'Small and Medium Business Technology Innovation Center,' operated by the Small and Medium Business Technology Information Promotion Agency (hereinafter referred to as SMBA), is playing a significant role in resolving research and development (R&D) technology cooperation and on-site difficulties. It enhances technological competitiveness through the establishment of a continuous technical consultation system for small and medium enterprises and the operation of technology exchange programs.
According to SMBA on the 26th, since the opening of the Technology Innovation Center, the number of technical consultations for small and medium enterprises has been recorded at 1,726 cases (cumulative over 3 years) until last year. The number has steadily increased from 310 cases in the first year of opening in 2017 to 642 cases in 2018 and 774 cases last year. Technical consultations serve the role of finding solutions by exchanging opinions on technical difficulties and commercialization plans between technology experts and companies.
The Technology Innovation Center opened in January 2017 within the Gyeonggi Creative Economy Innovation Center in Sampyeong-dong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. It was established to create an exchange and cooperation infrastructure between small and medium enterprises and universities/research institutes to promote technology innovation based on R&D and human exchange. So far, the Technology Innovation Center has operated 135 programs including education/seminars, technology markets, technology exchange meetings, and technology communities, with a total attendance of 6,384 people.
The number of technology exchange-related program operations and attendees at the Technology Innovation Center increased to 45 sessions with 1,914 attendees in 2017, 29 sessions with 1,490 attendees in 2018, and 61 sessions with 2,980 attendees last year. Attendees are provided with opportunities to discover business items through seminars on technology and business fields. Additionally, through the technology market, they introduced and consulted on technologies held by universities, research institutes, and companies, participating in technology transactions.
SMBA linked R&D support such as the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' Startup Growth Technology Development Project to outstanding industry-academia-research projects discovered and planned through the Technology Innovation Center programs. From 2017 to last year, a total of 63 projects recommended by the Technology Innovation Center have completed agreements and received government grants. Last year, through R&D project linkage, a total of 18 projects were supported with an R&D contract amount of 1.82 billion KRW.
Amid these achievements, applications for 'membership companies' have also increased annually. The number of membership companies at the Technology Innovation Center rose from 874 in 2017 to 989 in 2018 and 1,165 last year, with a cumulative total of 3,028 participants. Small and medium enterprises that join as membership companies receive support benefits such as priority participation in various programs operated by the Technology Innovation Center, including education, seminars, and R&D mentoring camps.
SMBA plans to continue leading support for resolving technical difficulties of small and medium enterprises and building and supporting cooperation foundations through revitalizing industry-academia-research networks via the Technology Innovation Center. This year, SMBA signed business agreements with 25 partner organizations including universities, public institutions, and public research institutes. These organizations will establish a comprehensive cooperative relationship for two years to support solving technical difficulties and strengthening technological competitiveness of small and medium enterprises.
Lee Jae-hong, Director of SMBA, said, "We will strengthen policy issue response and strategic functions to become a specialized institution that focuses on supporting new industry creation by small and medium ventures in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution," adding, "Through technology transfer, technical difficulty consultations, and cooperative R&D discovery with partner organizations possessing excellent technological capabilities, we will help enhance the technological competitiveness of small and medium enterprises."
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