[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Koo Dae-sun] “The reason our company was able to accumulate technical know-how is thanks to our connection with Yeungjin College Industrial Cooperation Center (ICC).”
This is what Gong Min-gyo, CEO of Gongseong, which has been manufacturing machine tools and logistics transport equipment for over half a century in Dalseo-gu, Daegu, said.
Founded in 1970, Gongseong has grown into a leading machine tool maker in South Korea based on quality management and technical know-how, with industry-academia cooperation playing a solid supporting role behind the scenes.
The relationship between this company and Yeungjin College Industrial Cooperation Center dates back over 10 years. Gongseong, which has successfully launched various products through industry-academia cooperation projects, cites the development of the ‘band saw metal cutter’ as a representative case of such collaboration.
Gongseong employees and researchers from the Yeongjeon Specialized University are discussing product development using a 3D scanner.
The development process of the ‘band saw metal cutter,’ a tool that cuts objects by the swinging motion of a band saw fixed in place, began at Yeungjin College ICC.
Last year, to develop this product which previously had no existing blueprints, the company received support from Yeungjin College ICC to perform reverse engineering using a 3D scanner and dedicated CAD, followed by structural design assistance. Moreover, ICC went further by manufacturing parts for the ‘band saw metal cutter’ using the 3D printer and machining center available at the center, enabling the company to pre-verify assembly and functional performance.
By receiving advanced equipment and design technology support from the university, which small and medium enterprises could not possess, the company shortened the schedule required for new product development and improved design quality, thereby enhancing product development competitiveness from the company’s perspective, Gongseong explained.
The ‘band saw metal cutter’ developed in this way was launched on time and achieved high sales performance.
Such industry-academia cooperation projects continue to be a success story, extending to the development and upgrading of dozens of products including pipe cutters and pipe cleaners.
Yeungjin College Industrial Cooperation Center (ICC) is becoming a top-tier helper for the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises in the Daegu region.
The college, along with promoting the Ministry of Education-led ‘Industry-Academia-Research Cooperation Leading College Development Project (LINC3.0),’ reorganized existing corporate support centers within the university by specialized fields.
Currently, it operates the ‘Smart Convergence Machinery ICC’ composed of the Techno Center, Mold Technology Center, and Calibration Measurement Technology Center, and the ‘Electronics Semiconductor ICC’ consisting of the SMT Center, Semiconductor Process Technology Center, and Daegu-Gyeongbuk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Specialized Education Center. This year, it plans to newly establish a Metaverse ICC, operating a total of three industrial cooperation centers.
Lee Kwang-rok, head of Yeungjin College ICC, said, “Our university’s Industrial Cooperation Centers will take the lead in enhancing the product development competitiveness of local small and medium enterprises by establishing and operating a one-stop corporate support system in the fields of machinery, electronics, and semiconductors to support new product development.”
Last year, the college secured sustainability through self-reliance of the Industrial Cooperation Centers by generating over 710 million KRW in revenue, with 223 cases of technical support at the Smart Convergence Machinery ICC and 119 cases at the Electronics Semiconductor ICC.
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