700 Billion Invested in 'SME Research Town' at POSTECH... 5,300-Pyeong Facility to House 70 Companies

On August 26, the Gyeongbuk Provincial Government announced that the 'Pohang SME Research Town Development Project' has passed the feasibility review by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and has been finally selected. With this, the province will begin in earnest to establish an ecosystem for the growth of key regional industries and the cultivation of young talent.

This project aims to cluster SME research institutes based on the region's core industries and create a research-oriented, urban-type cluster through collaboration among academia, industry, and research institutions. The goal is to enhance the technological competitiveness of SMEs and promote the generation of research and development (R&D) outcomes.

Gyeongbuk Provincial Government Building

Through this project, Gyeongbuk Province will establish technology development hubs in Pohang, specializing in strategic industries such as secondary batteries, biotechnology, semiconductors, and hydrogen. The province also plans to build a regional innovation ecosystem that encourages young talent to settle and start businesses.

The SME Research Town, which will be built in Jigok-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang (within POSTECH), will consist of one basement level and six above-ground floors, with a total area of approximately 17,450 square meters (5,300 pyeong). The total project cost is estimated at 70 billion won, and design work is scheduled to begin in 2026.

The new research town will function as a public rental knowledge industry center, while also serving as a next-generation complex research facility equipped with a shared equipment center using cutting-edge infrastructure and collaborative spaces for academia-industry partnerships with local universities and large corporations.

The first floor of the research town will be an open, shared space for local residents. The second and third floors will house a public rental knowledge industry center that can accommodate 70 companies.

The fourth floor will be a shared equipment center equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, enabling companies in the scaling up stage to quickly mass-produce prototypes. The fifth and sixth floors will feature an academia-industry collaboration Open Lab, where local businesses, universities, and anchor companies can conduct joint research.

In particular, the Open Lab will focus on sharing and integrating technologies in Gyeongbuk's core strategic industries, such as secondary batteries, biotechnology, semiconductors, and hydrogen. Through this, the commercialization of SME technologies and the achievement of early results are anticipated.

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Government expects that the establishment of this research town, in connection with 15 startup support organizations and more than 280 companies in the province, including Pohang Technopark, Change Up Ground, and the Membrane Protein Research Institute, will contribute to scaling up SME technologies and revitalizing the startup ecosystem.

In addition, by collaborating with POSTECH, the region's leading university, the province plans to utilize excellent research infrastructure and promote youth employment and entrepreneurship. This is intended to prevent the outflow of highly skilled talent and establish a foundation for a self-sustaining innovation ecosystem in the region.

Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, stated, "The establishment of the SME Research Town is not merely the creation of a physical space, but a turning point for transforming Gyeongbuk's industrial structure to be technology-centered." He added, "Gyeongbuk Province will continue to expand platforms for collaboration among Pohang City, universities, and companies, aiming to become a global R&D hub that encompasses not only Pohang but the entire Gyeongbuk region."