Mokpo National University Selected as 'Makerspace Specialized Lab'... 6 Billion KRW Investment Planned

Exterior view of the Mokpo National University Naman Campus Production-Oriented Startup Support Center, where a makerspace specialized lab will be established / ? Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] Mokpo National University (President Park Min-seo) announced on the 2nd that it was finally selected as the lead institution for the 2021 Maker Space Specialized Lab Establishment and Operation Project promoted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on the 29th of last month.

Accordingly, over the next five years, a total project cost of approximately 6 billion KRW will be invested, including national funds and budgets from participating institutions (Jeollanam-do, Muan-gun, Naju-si).

Maker Space is a manufacturing startup support space equipped with various equipment and tools necessary for prototype production and mass production to promote manufacturing startups and spread maker culture.

Mokpo National University plans to foster startup innovative product manufacturing and production activation, sustainable open-type maker startup innovation, and establish an industry-academia-research-startup alliance by cooperating not only with general and specialized labs in the Honam region but also with nationwide maker spaces, startup support institutions, investment support institutions, and manufacturing mass production companies to nurture startups and manufacturing startup companies.

President Park Min-seo said, “We have completed the production-type startup support center for the successful fostering of manufacturing startups, and through the establishment of the Maker Space Specialized Lab, we will nurture manufacturing-based startup companies.”

This Maker Space establishment and operation project involved Jeollanam-do, Muan-gun, and Naju-si, and plans to foster startup companies with the vision of building a smart farm industry manufacturing startup ecosystem.

The Mokpo National University Maker Space Specialized Lab will be established in the recently completed production-type startup support center on Mokpo National University Namak Campus. The production-type startup support center includes a promotional hall for exhibiting, promoting, and experiencing startup company products, a pilot plant equipped with manufacturing equipment for initial production, a specialized 4Fab for prototype development and production, a smart education room for training professional makers, a commerce studio for broadcasting startup company products, and support operation offices.

Additionally, the currently operating general Maker Space lab will continue at the Namak Community Center, which has excellent accessibility for citizens.

Yu Young-jae, director of the Robot Artificial Intelligence Convergence Center and professor of Electrical and Control Engineering, who is the overall manager of Mokpo National University Maker Space, stated, “We will promptly establish the specialized lab to advance regional manufacturing startups and activate smart farm industry manufacturing startups to contribute to the sustainable growth of the regional industry.”