Sugoong, Call for Participating Companies and Registered New Technologies in the SME Venture Technology Development Support Program

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) will hold an online contest from the 13th to invite participation from water industry small and medium venture enterprises (SMVEs) involved in technology development support programs and K-water registered new technologies to foster the domestic water industry.

This contest aims to actively discover and support technologies related to ▲4th Industrial Revolution-linked technologies such as big data ▲localization technologies in materials, parts, and equipment fields, as well as ▲Low Impact Development (LID), an urban development technology that minimizes ecological environmental impact, and ▲smart water management and other smart city-related technologies.

The contest fields for the SMVE technology development support program include ▲performance sharing system ▲water industry equipment supplier registration system ▲purchase-linked purchase conditional type ▲purchase conditional joint investment type.

The performance sharing system is a program where K-water and SMVEs jointly carry out projects and, if cost reduction or performance and quality improvement results are achieved, enter into exclusive contracts with the respective companies for two years to support their market access.

The water industry equipment registration system evaluates SMVEs supplying equipment to K-water on supply stability and technological capability, granting excellent companies the qualification to participate in designated competitive bidding for three years.

The purchase-linked purchase conditional type and purchase conditional joint investment type are programs where K-water and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups support part of the development costs of SMVEs’ technologies and enter into exclusive contracts for three years to support their market access.

In particular, SMVEs selected through the contest will be given opportunities to utilize actual water management sites such as dams and water treatment plants as product performance testing grounds (testbeds).

The K-water registered new technology contest is promoted to select and utilize technologies with high applicability to K-water’s field operations from government-designated national new technologies (NET).

Eligible applicants are new technologies in construction and transportation fields, environment, disaster prevention, power, and industrial new technology certified technologies that have at least six months of remaining protection (valid) period as of the contest application start date.

Technologies adopted through the contest will be utilized through K-water’s work system by signing new technology use agreements and will be given priority review during new technology application evaluations.

The contest period for the SMVE technology development support program is from the 13th to the 29th, and for K-water registered new technologies, from the 13th to the 24th.

Eligibility requirements, necessary documents, and application methods can be found on the K-water Water Industry Platform system (www.kwater.or.kr/wis). Alternatively, inquiries can be made to the Korea Water Resources Corporation Water Industry Platform Center at 042-629-2531.

Park Jae-hyun, President of K-water, stated, "We are exploring multifaceted measures to foster innovative technologies and support SMVEs, which account for 98% of domestic water companies. Despite the difficulties caused by COVID-19, we will do our best to strengthen national competitiveness through job creation and discovery of innovative technologies."