[Feature] Uijeongbu City Finds Answers in the Field, from Demonstration to Policy Implementation
A Firsthand Look at Administrative Innovation Realized through the "2025 Innovation City Startup Challenge"
Integrating Startup Technologies into City Administration: The Nation’s Only Local Government-Led PoC Competition
Enhancing Technologies through Collaboration with Administrative Mentors and Experts
Establishing a Virtuous Cycle from Demonstration to Policy Implementation
Five Citizen-Centered Projects Utilizing AI and AR Technologies Advance to the Finals
Uijeongbu City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Donggeun) is building a new administrative innovation ecosystem through the nation’s only “local government-led PoC (Proof of Concept) competition” model, which directly integrates private sector innovative technologies into municipal operations. The “2025 Uijeongbu Innovation City Startup Challenge” is drawing attention for establishing a virtuous cycle of demonstration and policy implementation, where the growth of startups directly translates into policies that improve citizens’ lives, going beyond simple startup support.
Kim Donggeun, Mayor, delivered a welcome speech at the "2025 Uijeongbu Innovation City Startup Challenge" on the 14th. Provided by Uijeongbu City
According to Uijeongbu City on November 17, the city held the “2025 Uijeongbu Innovation City Startup Challenge” at Uijeongbu Culture Station E-eum on November 14, in collaboration with the Gyeonggi Content Agency. This event marks the full-scale launch of a “field demonstration-based startup development system” that supports early-stage startups to settle in the region and test their technologies directly in administrative settings.
A New Collaboration Model Linking Corporate Growth and Administrative Innovation
As the first of its kind in the nation, the “Uijeongbu Innovation City Startup Challenge,” led by the local government, connects startup technologies with administrative issues and serves as the city’s flagship administrative innovation model.
Now in its third year since its launch in 2023, this program is not merely a startup competition but a mutually beneficial initiative where local government and companies collaborate to create new growth opportunities. It breaks away from the traditional one-off, one-way support for companies and instead helps startups gain practical experience and achieve real growth.
The city provides a “testbed” for startups to trial their technologies in actual urban environments, along with mentoring from both the public and private sectors, thereby supporting both technology validation and early settlement for startups.
Participating companies propose projects that can benefit municipal administration, and administrative officials and private experts work together to refine and enhance the technologies by addressing issues that may arise during real-world implementation. The results are then presented in the final round, and outstanding teams proceed to demonstration projects in cooperation with relevant city departments.
Through this process, the city is establishing an administrative innovation ecosystem where “corporate growth” and “administrative innovation” occur simultaneously. In particular, Uijeongbu is institutionalizing a unique public-private partnership innovation model in which technologies are validated in the public sector and meaningfully reflected in administration, going beyond simple financial support.
On the 14th, BSKIT, a participating company, presented innovative ideas at the '2025 Uijeongbu Innovation City Startup Challenge.' Provided by Uijeongbu City
Last Year’s Winning Team Demonstrates Dementia Prevention Policy
The first tangible outcome of this initiative can be seen in the case of NoiLab, last year’s winning team.
NoiLab won the grand prize at the 2024 competition by proposing a “brain health management solution for dementia prevention.” This year, the company has partnered with the Uijeongbu City Public Health Center’s Dementia Relief Center to operate the dementia prevention class “Brainical Arcade.”
This program goes beyond simple cognitive training by combining balance and strength exercises for integrated physical-cognitive training. It incorporates light physical activities into brain-use tasks such as memorizing sequences. Notably, the company uses its self-developed neuro device to analyze cerebral blood flow, evaluate training effectiveness, and suggest personalized training directions for each participant.
From April to November, the program was held 16 times at the Singok and Songsan Dementia Relief Centers, achieving high levels of satisfaction and participation among citizens.
Through this initiative, the city has demonstrated a successful case of connecting private sector technology with actual administrative practice and citizen welfare. It is recognized as the nation’s first model to convert the “social value of technology” into tangible administrative outcomes, going beyond simply soliciting innovative ideas.
Mayor Donggeun Kim is taking a commemorative photo with Sigmain, the grand prize winner among participating companies at the '2025 Uijeongbu Innovation City Startup Challenge' held on the 14th. Provided by Uijeongbu City
Innovation Expanded with AI and AR... Five Startups Propose Administrative Innovations
At the Startup Challenge held on this day, a total of five finalists showcased their innovative ideas.
With the shared goal of enhancing administrative efficiency and citizen convenience using advanced technologies such as AI, AR, and data analytics, each company refined its technology over two months under the mentorship of Uijeongbu City officials and private experts.
First, Kangdan Studio proposed a project to produce promotional and informational content (animations) for the city using its AI animation auto-generation solution. This represents an “AI administrative communication” model that helps citizens easily understand complex administrative information. For the idea’s refinement, the company worked with the city to produce promotional videos for various events, including the 40th Hoeryong Cultural Festival, the 7th BMF, and the Policy Forum on Unreturned Military Sites.
Next, Picurate Inc. introduced a domain-specific AI chatbot agent, based on its proprietary knowledge management system (KMS), that goes beyond simple answers to provide opinions. The company developed a chatbot for passport-related civil complaints, piloting it by placing chatbot QR codes in the civil affairs office so visitors could directly check information.
Sigmain developed an AI-based automated SNS marketing solution for small business owners, proposing ways to improve marketing accessibility for early-stage entrepreneurs. Sigmain also collaborated with the city to distribute the marketing automation solution to small business owners in the area and conducted training to validate the technology.
Prismovers Inc. presented an AR coloring experience smart playground where children can color drawings that are then realized in AR, creating an experiential learning environment. BSKIT introduced the “BrainUP” project, an AI-powered brain stimulation playground for children with developmental delays, opening up possibilities for digital transformation in the field of child welfare.
Both companies collaborated with the city to use the local childcare support center “Everyone’s Playground” as a demonstration stage, providing a new play environment where local children could experience and enjoy innovative content developed with augmented reality and other advanced technologies.
Kim Donggeun, the mayor, is taking a commemorative photo with participants at the "2025 Uijeongbu Innovation City Startup Challenge" on the 14th. Provided by Uijeongbu City
A Place Where Administration and Technology Meet... The Door to Demonstration Opens
This final round served not just as a competition but as a platform for Uijeongbu to create tangible changes felt by citizens and to drive the growth and development of companies.
In particular, last year’s successful demonstration case served as motivation for this year’s finalists, further evolving the event into a “city problem-solving audition model.”
The final competition consisted of 15-minute presentations and Q&A sessions for each company, with the judging panel evaluating technological merit, business feasibility, and administrative suitability to determine the rankings.
The award-winning companies were: Grand Prize, Sigmain (AI-based automated SNS marketing for early-stage small business owners in Uijeongbu); Excellence Award, Kangdan Studio (AI animation auto-generation solution for producing city promotional and informational animations); Merit Award, Picurate Inc. (domain-specific AI chatbot agent based on proprietary KMS that provides not only facts but also opinions); Encouragement Awards, BSKIT (AI-powered brain stimulation playground for children with developmental delays: BrainUP) and Prismovers Inc. (smart playground with AR coloring experience).
Mayor Kim Donggeun said, “Good ideas create innovation, innovation opens up new opportunities, and those opportunities lead to corporate growth. Uijeongbu City will do its utmost to become a city where startups can rise again even after failure and where startup ideas become reality.”
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