Discovering Innovative Technology Startups... SK Ecoplant Hosts 'ConTech Meetup Day' Awards Ceremony

Selection of 3 Semiconductor and 1 Environmental Technologies
Joint R&D with SK Eco and Others

SK ecoplant is launching an initiative to discover small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups with innovative technologies in the semiconductor and environmental sectors.

On the 8th, SK ecoplant announced that it held the ‘2024 ConTech Meet-Up Day’ awards ceremony at the Grand Walkerhill Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.

At the awards ceremony of the '2024 ConTech Meet-Up Day' held on the 8th at the Grand Walkerhill Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Kim Hyung-geun, President of SK Ecoplant (sixth from the right), representatives of the award-winning companies, and officials from the co-hosting organizations are posing for a commemorative photo. Photo by SK Ecoplant

‘ConTech Meet-Up Day’ is an open technology contest implemented by SK ecoplant to support the commercialization and research and development of domestic SMEs and startups with innovative technologies. First held in 2020, this year marks its fifth edition. Public, academic, and investment institutions such as the Research & Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation under the Ministry of Science and ICT, Chungnam Regional Small and Medium Venture Business Administration, Seoul National University, Korea International Trade Association, Seoul and Chungnam Creative Economy Innovation Centers, and SK Securities also participated as co-hosts to strengthen the event. Additionally, SK ecoplant subsidiaries such as SK Ocean Plant and Renewus will engage in joint R&D with the award-winning companies.

A total of 87 technologies in the semiconductor, environment, energy, and smart construction fields were submitted for this contest. After document screening and presentation evaluations, a total of four technologies were finally selected: three in the semiconductor field and one in the environmental field. The evaluation comprehensively considered the innovativeness, business potential, and joint development feasibility of the submitted technologies.

The final awarded technologies are △Production of cement substitutes using waste hydrofluoric acid sludge discharged from semiconductor plants (semiconductor field, Carbon Reduction Co., Ltd.) △Development of semiconductor cleaning equipment using pulse and vacuum modules (semiconductor field, TwoInTech Co., Ltd.) △Recovery of high-purity hydrofluoric acid and silica from waste hydrofluoric acid discharged from semiconductor plants (semiconductor field, EcoShine Co., Ltd.) △Utilization of surplus sludge in wastewater through the fusion of ultrasonic, nanobubble, and oxidant technologies (environmental field, H&M Bio Co., Ltd.). TwoInTech Co., Ltd. was selected as the top awardee and received a commendation from the Minister of SMEs and Startups.

The awarded companies will proceed with joint research and development with SK ecoplant and related subsidiaries. They will also receive support such as government funding and investment attraction from the public, academic, and investment institutions participating as co-hosts. After technology advancement, business collaboration with SK ecoplant will be possible through commercialization review.

SK ecoplant operates various open innovation programs such as ConTech Meet-Up Day, Tech Open Collaboration, and Eco Open Platform, leading co-growth with SMEs, mid-sized companies, and startups. Recognizing these efforts, SK ecoplant received the highest grade for eight consecutive years in the ‘Win-Win Growth Index Evaluation’ hosted by the Win-Win Growth Committee last October.

Kim Hyung-geun, President of SK ecoplant, stated, “Through open innovation activities with the companies discovered in this contest, we will advance technologies in the semiconductor and environmental fields. We will continue to create a sustainable industrial ecosystem based on sincere communication and a fair trade culture with SMEs, startups, and related institutions.”