Creating a City Ideal for Startups... Yeongju-si, Gyeongbuk Hosts Youth Startup & Maker Festival

On the 8th, Yeongju City in Gyeongbuk held the 2021 Youth Startup & Maker Festival at the Youth Smart Startup Factory.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Yeongju City, Gyeongbuk, held the 2021 Youth Startup & Maker Festival on the 8th at the Youth Smart Startup Factory.

The Youth Smart Startup Factory, established in 2019, was created to discover prospective entrepreneurs and startup companies with excellent local startup ideas, foster competitive youth startup companies through stable startup infrastructure creation and customized support.

The Startup Factory includes a makerspace that opens digital technology-based manufacturing equipment such as 3D printers to the public, allowing free creative activities and providing opportunities to discover creativity.

It supports prototype production for the general public, including prospective entrepreneurs, and also offers educational programs such as equipment technical training.

This festival was held to review the achievements of the youth startup support project and makerspace operation project conducted at the Startup Factory over the past year and to find ways to revitalize youth startups.

The youth startup support project has produced a total of 34 entrepreneurs from 2019 to this year, and since June last year, 1,739 people have used the makerspace to create 1,326 prototypes.

Various craft experiences and program education related to startups were also operated 112 times.

They signed an agreement with the Yeongju Disabled Parents Association to develop customized maker experience programs for the disabled, and made an agreement with the Yeongju Jeil Welfare Foundation and a recycling woodworking team to exhibit upcycling products and donate sales proceeds.

Based on this event, the city plans to discuss cooperation measures with the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation of Gyeongbuk College, which operates the Startup Factory, to prepare various startup programs and support startup companies.

Jang Wook-hyun, mayor of Yeongju City, said, “This day is for young people who have worked hard to start a business with their own ideas throughout the year to report their achievements,” and added, “We will empathize with the concerns of young entrepreneurs about maintaining their businesses and strive in various ways to provide practical help.”