Busan City Accelerates Creation of Specialized 'Startup Hub Facilities' in 15-Minute City Areas

Urban Youth Startup Residential Complex 5th Branch Selected at Old Sena Daycare in Bansong-dong, Haeundae-gu

Dongseo University and Busan Gyeongsang University 1st and 2nd Branches Opened → Public Plan (Dong-gu) and Dong-Eui University (Busanjin-gu

Busan City has recently selected the former Sena Daycare Center in Bansong-dong, Haeundae-gu as the 5th location for its urban-type youth startup and residential complex space, accelerating the creation of ‘urban-type youth startup and residential complex spaces,’ which serve as specialized startup hubs in 15-minute city areas.

Haeundae-gu (Urban-type Youth Startup Residential Complex) Bird's-eye View.

The youth startup and residential complex space in Haeundae-gu plans to renovate the daycare center, which was closed due to a rapid decline in school-age population, by December and fill it with the dreams of young entrepreneurs.

The ‘Urban-type Youth Startup and Residential Complex Space Creation’ project was established to support the stable growth of young people within the region by providing not only startup spaces but also residential conditions for young entrepreneurs.

This project began in 2022, and in June last year, two locations were opened at Dongseo University (Sasang-gu) and Busan Kyungsang University (Yeonje-gu). Additionally, two more locations, Public Plan (Dong-gu) and Dong-Eui University (Busanjin-gu), were selected and are currently undergoing remodeling.

The urban-type youth startup and residential complex spaces also serve as regional startup hubs linked to the 15-minute city concept, which aims to create eco-friendly and open shared living spaces through the ecological transformation of urban spaces closely related to daily life.

By converging and complexifying startups with region-specific specialized content and other local assets, these spaces are activated. Each startup hub operates a ‘Startup Masil’ program, inviting local residents to introduce startup programs and hold online and offline sales support events.

Furthermore, the city selected ‘Changup Ggum’ as the brand name for this space through a naming contest in 2022 to establish it as a representative startup brand of the 15-minute city and Busan.

In particular, the residential spaces created within these complexes have introduced the concept of local vacation remote work (workation). The existing workation program, which only benefited companies outside Busan, has been expanded to include local companies, thereby increasing citizen engagement.

The ‘Public Plan’ in Dong-gu, which is developing the ‘Ibaku Platform’ by utilizing abandoned houses around the 168 Steps area in the old downtown, is expected to contribute to regional revitalization by specializing in tourism and cultural startups, attracting young people back to the old downtown.

‘Brocos,’ which moved into the startup space at Dongseo University opened in June last year, has produced visible results such as winning the ‘Busan Initiative’ award at ‘Fly Asia 2023,’ supported by Dongseo University’s startup incubation programs.

This was made possible by having managers permanently stationed to support startup companies, unlike existing startup facilities, enabling investor connections, patent application support, and online and offline sales support linked with local residents.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun stated, “Although we are actively creating startup spaces such as eco-friendly green startup towns and knowledge industry centers recently, it is still insufficient compared to the metropolitan area. Our city will continue to actively create residential complex spaces as jobs and living spaces for youth, supporting young entrepreneurs to grow stably in Busan and further encouraging the influx of young startup populations.”