Online Event from the 19th to 21st for 3 Days
Slogan: 'Meeting the Future of Startups After COVID-19'
Academic Conference, Special Events, and Side Events Held Online
On the 19th, at the 'ComeUp 2020' opening ceremony held at the CJ ENM Production Center in Ilsan, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Park Young-sun, Minister of SMEs and Startups, is delivering the opening address.
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] “In the post-COVID-19 digital economy era, the entrepreneurial spirit of startups and international solidarity and cooperation will lead a new economic order.”
The 'ComeUp 2020,' with startups from 89 countries worldwide participating, opened on the 19th at the CJ ENM Production Center in Ilsan, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, kicking off a three-day schedule.
In the opening remarks of ComeUp 2020, co-hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the private organizing committee, Minister Park Young-sun emphasized the startups' entrepreneurial spirit that turns the crisis caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) into an opportunity.
Following last year, ComeUp, now in its second year, has rapidly emerged as one of the world's four major startup festivals alongside Slush (Finland) and TechCrunch (USA). This year, 114 famous startup figures are participating, including 36 overseas speakers. Due to the spread of COVID-19, the event was prepared from the planning stage as an online and non-face-to-face centered event.
The highlight of this year's ComeUp is the 'ComeUp Stars Investment Presentation (IR),' which provides startups with promotional opportunities to global investors. A total of 1,076 startups from 89 countries worldwide applied, recording a competition rate of 9 to 1.
The academic conference, held under the main theme of 'Meeting the Future After COVID-19,' is composed of three major topics: social systems, work environments, and lifestyles, and a total of 12 fields including K-quarantine, remote work, and artificial intelligence (AI).
On the first day, the 19th, Kim Seul-ah, CEO of Kurly and chairperson of the ComeUp 2020 private organizing committee, delivered the keynote speech titled 'Fresh Ideas to Cope with COVID-19,' presenting a message that inspires startups worldwide.
Chun Jong-yoon, CEO of Seegene, a leading diagnostic kit company that has emerged as a model case of K-quarantine, also appears as a speaker. Kim Jin-yong, an infectious disease specialist at Incheon Medical Center who devised the drive-through COVID-19 testing method, explains the direction of epidemic response and the background of the drive-through planning during the discussion.
On the second day (the 20th), lectures on remote work, manufacturing, and AI will be held under the theme of the 'work environment,' which has changed significantly due to COVID-19. Professor Kim Jeong-sang of Duke University, USA, co-founder and CTO of IonQ, will speak on 'The Present of Quantum Computing and the Future It Will Change.' Additionally, Henry Chesbrough, the world's leading authority in open innovation from UC Berkeley, and Gary Ball, a renowned figure in remote work from Singularity University, USA, will engage in an in-depth discussion on the changing work environment.
On the last day (the 21st), Lee Sung-soo, CEO of SM Entertainment, Park Tae-hoon, CEO of Watcha, and Betty Vandenbosch, CEO of Coursera, will speak on innovation plans in the fields of entertainment, distribution, and commerce.
Seven special events held alongside ComeUp also attract attention. The non-face-to-face youth startup idea contest 'CheongjeongCon Final Pitching,' held on the 19th, targets prospective entrepreneurs under 29 years old and evaluates startup items in six non-face-to-face fields including education, smart healthcare, and entertainment. After mentoring by senior entrepreneurs, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups supports commercialization.
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