Technology Transactions for SMEs Surge Through "Smart TechBridge"

1,850 Technology Transfer Contracts Last Year
Over 800 Already Concluded by April This Year

The "Smart TechBridge" technology transaction platform operated by the Korea Technology Finance Corporation (Kibo) is serving as a bridge connecting technology transfer and commercialization for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and venture companies. Smart TechBridge is a platform that links demand technologies sought by SMEs with supply technologies held by universities and public research institutions. Since its launch in December 2022, the number of technology transfer contracts concluded through this platform has continued to increase each year, and it is expected to surpass 2,000 cases this year.

According to Kibo on May 21, the number of technology transfer contracts concluded through Smart TechBridge reached 805 as of April this year. The figure has been on a steady rise, from 1,786 cases in 2023 to 1,850 last year. Based on the performance through April, it is expected that the number of technology transfer contracts will far exceed 2,000 this year. Technology transactions conducted on Smart TechBridge currently account for about 15% of all public technology transactions, and more than 99% of these involve SMEs. This demonstrates that Smart TechBridge is serving as a foundation for innovation and advancement through SME technologies.

Since 2014, Kibo has operated the "TechBridge" technology transaction platform, achieving 6,949 technology transfer contracts by the end of 2022. Building on this, Kibo launched the more advanced Smart TechBridge at the end of 2022 by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The platform was designed as an expanded system that allows participation not only by SMEs, universities, and public research institutes, but also by private technology transaction agencies and business commercialization specialists. AI technology is applied to the service that matches demand companies with technologies using Kibo’s corporate information. This means that demand technologies and supply technologies from universities or public research institutes are automatically matched and recommended to companies in a customized manner by AI.

The platform is also equipped with various functions necessary for technology transactions and commercialization, such as electronic contract services. It provides an electronic contract system that, by verifying the validity of electronic signatures, is recognized as a valid document for registration with the Korean Intellectual Property Office during technology transfer contracts. The use of this electronic technology transfer contract system increased by 74%, from 680 cases in 2023 to 1,184 last year.

Based on these features, Smart TechBridge has established itself as a technology transaction platform that supports the entire cycle of SME technology transfer and commercialization after more than two years of operation. In particular, by automatically collecting outputs such as patents, projects, and papers from cross-ministerial research and development (R&D) and concentrating them on the platform, the supply of technologies has increased significantly. Until last year, the platform provided information on 940,000 public technologies, but now it offers information on over 1.4 million technologies. In addition, Kibo’s branches, as well as eight organizations that interact directly with SMEs, have been selected as technology transaction supporters to actively identify demand. A Kibo official stated, "We will actively work to create a virtuous cycle technology transaction environment through the technology transaction platform, thereby promoting open innovation and strengthening technological competitiveness for SMEs and venture companies."