Guests attending the opening ceremony of the Pet Industry Specialized Innovation Research Complex (I-URP) are taking a group commemorative photo.
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] Silla University held an opening ceremony for the ‘Pet Industry Specialized Innovation Research Complex (I-URP)’ on the 3rd at the main stadium of Silla University.
On the 14th, Silla University was selected as the lead institution for the Busan City University Innovation Research Complex (I-URP) project, which aims to enhance the competitiveness of local industries by linking the university’s infrastructure and research achievements with regional industries.
The opening ceremony of the ‘Pet Industry Specialized Innovation Research Complex (I-URP)’ was organized to announce the university innovation research complex project plan and to mark the official start of the project.
The event was attended by key figures including Park Hyung-joon, Mayor of Busan; Ko Mi-ja, Director of Youth Industry-Academia Startup Bureau; Seo Yong-cheol, Director of Busan Industry and Science Innovation Institute; Silla University President Kim Chung-seok and Vice President Kim Byung-gi; Dongmyung University President Jeon Ho-hwan; Gyeongsang National University College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Lee Hee-cheon; as well as academic officials, Lee Young-rak, President of the Busan Veterinary Association, Kim Hak-su, CEO of Social Bean, student representatives, and related organization officials.
Silla University announced the master plan for the I-URP project following the opening remarks by President Kim Chung-seok, congratulatory speeches by Mayor Park Hyung-joon, Dongmyung University President Jeon Ho-hwan, and Seo Yong-cheol, Director of Busan Industry and Science Innovation Institute, and celebrated the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Attendees also toured the IoT demonstration center and the site where the innovation research complex will be established to inspect the location.
Busan City emphasized accelerating regional innovation by creating a pet-themed complex park through government-industry-academia cooperation, building pet-friendly infrastructure, and fostering related industries.
Accordingly, Silla University has invested in establishing a pet complex and infrastructure to revitalize the pet industry by utilizing the first-ever pet department among four-year universities in the southeastern region, state-of-the-art practice rooms equipped with surgery, clinical pathology, culturing, and microscopy labs, and a 540,000-pyeong low-carbon campus site designated by the Ministry of Environment.
The university plans to intensify efforts to foster the pet industry and create an industry-academia-research cooperation ecosystem through a three-phase project plan by 2028, centered on the Pet Industry Specialized Innovation Research Complex (I-URP).
Silla University will receive 4 billion KRW from Busan City over five years and over 12.3 billion KRW from the private sector to support the project.
The first phase is the innovation platform establishment stage, which involves building infrastructure for product development and business operations, creating spaces for company residency and startups, and establishing a permanent experience center.
The second phase is the leap stage, focusing on technology development and dissemination, discovering companies, operating businesses, building a smart platform for company support, and fostering specialized personnel to establish networks and attract projects.
The third phase is the completion stage of the comprehensive pet infrastructure Pet Complex, which plans to establish a pet industry support center, a pet park as a citizen relaxation space, a pet behavior education support center, and a disease research center.
Mayor Park Hyung-joon said, “Silla University is contributing to the local community by establishing the pet department and the region’s first aviation-specialized college, making various efforts to restore Silla University’s status.”
Mayor Park added, “‘Pet-Friendly City Busan’ is an important project for Busan City, and we will continue to cooperate not only through industry-academia collaboration projects but also through ongoing partnerships.”
Silla University President Kim Chung-seok stated, “We will utilize Silla University’s abundant infrastructure and various project funds to build an industry-academia cooperation platform specialized in the pet industry within the university and make multifaceted efforts to ensure that the pet industry becomes a growth foundation for Busan.”
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