Martial Arts-Seoul National University Helps Export Companies Innovate Through Technical Difficulty Consulting

Technical Funding Support Planned for Participating Companies Starting This Year

On the 12th, at COEX in Samseong-dong, Shin Seung-gwan, Executive Director of the Korea International Trade Association (second from the left), who visited the 'KITA-Seoul National University Technology Difficulty Consultation Meeting,' is discussing difficulties with a representative of a participating company.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] The Korea International Trade Association and Seoul National University Engineering Consulting Center announced on the 11th that they held a ‘Technology Difficulty Consultation Meeting’ at COEX in Samseong-dong.

The two organizations have held technology consultation meetings annually since signing a ‘Business Agreement to Enhance the Global Technological Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ in 2017, supporting technological innovation for over 150 export companies to date.

This consultation meeting was attended by 51 companies from fields such as cosmetics, medical devices, augmented reality (AR) software, and semiconductor inspection equipment. Professors from Seoul National University in each field diagnosed technological issues and provided solutions through one-on-one consultations. Consultants from the Trade Association, Korea Credit Guarantee Fund, and Korea Industrial Technology Promotion Association also participated, offering consultations on technology finance support systems and establishing corporate research institutes.

Starting this year, the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation is also lending support. The foundation will provide up to 15 million KRW per company, totaling 200 million KRW, to cover costs incurred during in-depth advisory processes such as technology development and transfer for companies participating in the consultation meeting.

Kim Byung-yu, Head of Member Services at the Trade Association, said, “We hope companies can have opportunities to enhance product competitiveness by applying technologies possessed by universities,” adding, “We will continue to build a ‘one-stop technology difficulty support system’ to ensure ongoing industry-academic cooperation.”