Ideas and Tech Startups Take Flight! ... Gumi City Hosts Tech Fair for Small Giant R&D Special Zone

Establishment of Advanced Technology SME Venture Manufacturing Innovation Cluster

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] The ‘Gyeongbuk Gumi Small Giant R&D Special Zone Tech Fair’ will be held on the 16th and 17th at GumiCO to share and spread the two-year achievements of the Gyeongbuk Gumi Small Giant R&D Special Zone development project.

The Small Giant Special Zone Tech Fair is an exhibition that shares various excellent achievements of the Small Giant Special Zone development project.

2023 Tech Fair Poster.

Held for the second time following last year, this Tech Fair will feature various programs over two days including the opening ceremony, the 2023 Small Giant Special Zone project briefing, technology presentations, technology and product exhibitions, corporate support consulting, and an IR competition.

At the opening ceremony on the 16th, about 100 people attended including Mayor Kim Jang-ho, Lee Dal-hee, Deputy Governor for Economy of Gyeongbuk Province, An Joo-chan, Chairperson of the City Council, Kwak Ho-sang, President of Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Lee Kang-jun, Head of the Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation, provincial and city council members, related organizations, and representatives from 45 beneficiary companies of the Small Giant Special Zone development project. National Assembly members Koo Ja-geun and Kim Young-sik congratulated the Tech Fair through video messages.

During the opening ceremony, the achievements over the two years since the designation of the special zone were reported, and excellent commercialization cases were presented by representative companies Daewon Automed (CEO Park Seung-yong) and NS Lab (CEO Kim Dong-sung).

Daewon Automed (manufacturer of medical parts and equipment) established a research institute company in the Gumi Small Giant Special Zone and achieved sales of 1.3 billion KRW last year, hiring 10 new employees as a result.

NS Lab (blockchain-based metaverse platform) utilized technology certified for advanced technology and products to sign an MOU with overseas companies and recorded exports of 1 million USD. Through continuous R&D and commercialization, it is reborn as a strong local company.

Following this, plaques for research institute companies were awarded to representatives of seven companies: Wellness (CEO Kim Kyung-wook), Aegis AM (CEO Bae Nam-soo), Youngil ICT (CEO Choi Kyu-hyun), URI (CEO Lee Kwon-hyung), Golden Crow (CEO Jang Ui-soon), S&E Solutions (CEO Pyeon Do-bok), and Razest (CEO Lee Geon-hee).

The Gumi Small Giant Special Zone plans to continuously discover and nurture research institute companies with excellent technological innovation capabilities and high potential.

Mayor Kim Jang-ho said in his congratulatory speech, “Despite difficult conditions such as economic slowdown, I thank the entrepreneurs and industry-academia-research officials who are leading constant change and innovation through the Small Giant Special Zone,” and added, “Gumi City will also mobilize all policy capabilities to prioritize revitalizing the local economy and breathe new life into the region.”

The Small Giant R&D Special Zone is a system that designates and fosters R&D special zones centered on key core technology institutions located in the region. The Gyeongbuk Gumi Small Giant Special Zone specializes in smart manufacturing systems, aiming to create new technologies based on R&D, commercialize them, and promote regional development and the establishment of a science and technology-based manufacturing innovation cluster.

During the two-year project period, 19 research institute companies were established, 74 cases of technology transfer and investment were made, 22 new technology startups were launched, and 6.6 billion KRW in investment attraction was linked, exceeding the initial goals. Based on this, it is expected to create an advanced technology-based corporate growth ecosystem that will lead to job creation and regional economic revitalization.