Looking for Startups to Showcase Innovative Martial Arts Technology in Barcelona

Support for On-site Demonstration at Local Landmarks such as Seoul Startup Hub and '22@ Innovation District'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) announced on the 12th that it will promote a domestic startup testbed project in Barcelona, Spain, in collaboration with Seoul Startup Hub.

The testbed project provides domestic startups with opportunities to test their innovative technologies and solutions overseas. For this project, KITA has been consulting with a local consulting firm since January last year and secured a testbed opportunity at a shopping mall within the '22@ Innovation District,' which is regarded as a major success case of urban regeneration.

In the second half of the year, the testbed venues will be expanded to include shopping centers in the affluent Sarri? area near Barcelona's Sagrada Familia Cathedral and Park G?ell, as well as Gaud? architectural sites.

Earlier, on the 9th, KITA signed a business agreement with Seoul Startup Hub to jointly promote the 'Spain Overseas Proof of Concept (PoC) Testbed.' Based on this, they plan to combine a database of over 8,000 startups and overseas expansion support know-how with Seoul Startup Hub's excellent incubation company network to expand support for the globalization of domestic startups.

Startups wishing to participate in the testbed project can apply on the KITA website (www.kita.net) by the 21st.

Lee Dong-gi, Head of KITA's Innovation Growth Division, said, "The 22@ Innovation District is mainly used as a living lab for demonstrating innovative technologies, and the local operators we plan to collaborate with have portfolios across Europe. Domestic startups will have the opportunity to use this testbed experience as a stepping stone to expand throughout Europe."