Special Zone Foundation-NSF, Joint Planning and Promotion of Regional Innovation Engine Program

The Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the Special Zone Foundation) announced on the 23rd that it discussed ways to mutually cooperate in promoting joint cooperation programs with the U.S. National Science Foundation (hereinafter NSF) at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Hotel in the United States.

The two sides held this meeting as a follow-up to the "Korea-U.S. Technology Commercialization Infrastructure Roundtable" held during the visit of NSF President Sethuraman Panchanathan to Korea last July.

Jung Hee-kwon, Chairman of the Special Zone Foundation (right), is taking a commemorative photo with Stacey Standridge, NSF Global Cooperation Officer. Photo by Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation

Previously, the Special Zone Foundation discussed comprehensive cooperation between the Research and Development Special Zone and NSF at the roundtable. At the subsequent meeting, the focus was on concretizing cooperation plans such as joint program planning between the Regional Innovation Engines (RIE) of both sides.

RIE refers to the 10 regions designated by NSF earlier this year to transform each local area in the U.S. into technology and innovation-centered economic hubs.

Since its establishment in 1950 as an agency under the White House, NSF has supported research and education in the U.S. science and technology fields and has cooperated with Korea in joint research and development (R&D), academic exchanges, and more.

The Special Zone Foundation plans to continuously maintain and strengthen cooperation with NSF, aiming to promote joint cooperation programs between the Research and Development Special Zone and the Regional Innovation Engines next year.

The goal is to enhance the global technology commercialization capabilities of the Research and Development Special Zone and thereby activate the overseas expansion of special zone companies.

Jung Hee-kwon, Chairman of the Special Zone Foundation, said, “The NSF Regional Innovation Engine policy, which fosters regions as innovation growth hubs, has similarities with the Research and Development Special Zone based on regional industry-academia-research cooperation, so mutual cooperation seems possible. The Special Zone Foundation will strive to further strengthen the global capabilities of the Research and Development Special Zone based on cooperation with NSF.”