Reviewing Mass Production Readiness of Partner Companies
On December 15, Gwangyang City announced that it had visited four companies that signed a startup scale-up activation agreement to review the progress of their projects and share future expansion plans.
The Gwangyang Bay Area is recognized as a region with an industrial structure concentrated with anchor companies in the secondary battery, steel, and advanced materials sectors, making it highly likely for technology verification and mass production conversion through collaboration between startups and large enterprises.
Gwangyang City visited four companies that signed a startup scale-up activation agreement on the 15th to review the progress of their projects and share future expansion plans. Photo by Gwangyang City
Considering the increasing number of startups with strong technological capabilities but facing difficulties entering the mass production stage, the city has been promoting the 'Scale-up Proof-of-Concept Support Project,' which supports both technology demonstration and commercialization. In September, during the 'Startup Scale-up Proof-of-Concept Support Project Kickoff' event, the city signed agreements with four companies: ABR Co., Ltd., Naetronics Co., Ltd., Green Mineral Co., Ltd., and EverIndus Co., Ltd.
According to the agreement, if the participating companies transition to mass production, they will establish factories in Gwangyang and actively cooperate in hiring local talent and utilizing local businesses. Gwangyang City, in turn, will provide administrative support to ensure stable growth for these companies.
This site visit was conducted to directly confirm how the proof-of-concept projects are being carried out on-site following the agreement. City officials sequentially visited the secondary battery startup scale-up proof-of-concept sites at the Knowledge Industry Center for Materials and Parts in the Gwangyang Bay Area and the Iksin Industrial Complex.
The city confirmed that each company is operating pilot facilities and accelerating preparations for mass production based on differentiated technologies, including battery remanufacturing, direct regeneration of cathode materials, environmentally friendly lithium extraction from waste batteries, and the development of next-generation sodium-ion battery materials.
Additionally, the companies shared their expansion plans, which include a total investment of 87 billion won and the creation of more than 105 jobs through this scale-up proof-of-concept project.
Furthermore, since the opening of the Knowledge Industry Center, demand for mass production (scale-up) proof-of-concept space has been rapidly increasing, especially among secondary battery startups seeking collaboration with POSCO Group's secondary battery materials affiliates. At the same time, the possibility of establishing factories and settling in the region with Gwangyang as a base is also becoming more concrete.
With the confirmation of project achievements and growth potential through the site visit, the city plans to further strengthen cooperation with related organizations and companies such as Jeonnam Technopark and POSCO Holdings, and systematically expand the industrial ecosystem that supports startups from technology demonstration and growth to local settlement.
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