Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Ministry of National Defense, and Ministry of Science and ICT Hold Civil-Military Technology Cooperation "Pitch Day"

Technology and Idea Proposals from Innovative Startups
Attendance by Over 400 Representatives from Industry, Academia, Research Institutes, and the Military

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 24th that, together with the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Science and ICT, it held the "Civil-Military Technology Cooperation Pitch Day" at the Army Education and Training Command in Jaun-dae, Daejeon.

No Yongseok, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, is posing for a commemorative photo with attendees, including Lee Duhee, Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Koo Hyeokchae, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, at the Civil-Military Technology Cooperation Pitch Day held on the 24th at the Jaun-dae Army Training Command in Daejeon. Ministry of SMEs and Startups

Pitch Day is an event where innovative companies present their business ideas, products, and business plans to investors, judges, and experts, and proceed with evaluation and investment linkage. It was launched for the first time this year to establish an official channel through which startups and SMEs with innovative technologies can directly identify the military’s needs and propose technologies and ideas.

This event was not limited to reviewing the potential use of outstanding civilian technologies by linking them to military requirements. It was also promoted to lower the barriers to entry for the private sector into the defense industry, thereby broadening the base of the industrial ecosystem and creating a foundation for the military to utilize advanced technologies more rapidly. In particular, as it was the first event led by the Ministry of National Defense, it is expected to serve as a new starting point for civil-military technology cooperation.

More than 400 people attended the event, including key officials from relevant organizations and representatives from industry, academia, research institutes, and the military, such as Lee Doohee, Vice Minister of National Defense, Noh Yongseok, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Kim Sungsoo, policy chief for Research and Development at the Ministry of Science and ICT, Kang Kwanbeom, Commander of the Army Education and Training Command, Lee Sangchul, President of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, and Yoo Jongpil, President of the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development.

The program consisted of: ▲ signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for cooperation between participating institutions ▲ presentations of outstanding technologies and products and consulting on linking them to military requirements ▲ technology demonstrations ▲ and operation of indoor exhibition booths. In particular, consulting focused on reviewing the applicability of outstanding technologies in actual military operating environments. Through this, there were substantive discussions on the direction in which civilian-owned technologies could be utilized in military operations and on areas that need to be supplemented.

The Army Education and Training Command, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, and the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development signed an MOU and pledged to expand technological exchanges and cooperation going forward. In addition, 10 projects on unmanned mobility technologies and products from industry, academia, and research institutes, selected upon recommendation by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Korea Aerospace Research Institute) and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development), were introduced at the event. The military provided feedback on these technologies, focusing on their potential military utility and additional improvements needed for military application.

Furthermore, through flight demonstrations, participants confirmed the excellence of cooperative operation of unmanned ground and aerial vehicles (Korea Aerospace Research Institute and Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials), integrated control of multiple heterogeneous unmanned vehicles (Korea Electronics Technology Institute), and AI-based reconnaissance, transport, and detection robots (Newbility). Indoor booths featuring participation from 25 companies, including 3D convergence sensor modules (Sejong University), integrated antenna-and-component structures (Korea Aerospace Research Institute), AI navigation assistance systems for naval vessels (Seadronix), and automated drone-route construction solutions (Bamboos), also provided an opportunity to share a wide range of outstanding civilian technologies and products.

Noh Yongseok, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, is delivering a welcome speech at the 'Civil-Military Technology Cooperation Pitch Day' held on the 24th at the Jaundae Army Training Command in Daejeon. Ministry of SMEs and Startups

In his welcome remarks, Noh Yongseok, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, "As the application of advanced technologies accelerates, including the digital transformation of the battlefield, innovative companies are emerging as core players in national defense," adding, "In Korea, there are many SMEs and startups that hope to enter the defense industry, but they have faced difficulties in entering the market due to low accessibility to the military and to system integrators."

He went on to say, "To expand opportunities for SMEs and startups to enter the defense industry ecosystem, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to hold the 'Defense Startup Challenge,' an open-innovation collaboration initiative with the military and defense companies, following this Pitch Day."

In his opening speech, Lee Doohee, Vice Minister of National Defense, said, "There have been continuous comments from the field that there are not enough official channels through which private companies can communicate directly with the military," and added, "The Ministry of National Defense has reflected these voices in its policies and organized this Pitch Day as a venue where the military and the private sector can directly communicate and cooperate."

Koo Hyukchae, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "Pitch Day will be the first step in a virtuous cycle of self-reliant national defense by applying technologies that our country has developed on its own to the defense sector," and added, "We will work to ensure that today’s event does not end as a one-off occasion, but instead expands into other technology fields and becomes a core platform that connects advanced science and technology to national defense and security."