Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) is launching the 'STAR Program' to support product development and market entry of medical device companies based at the Changwon Intelligent Medical Device Support Center (CIMES) in celebration of Medical Device Day.

'STAR' is a permanent support program that provides free consulting in four areas: Simulation, Technology, Authorization, and Regulation, and was created to strengthen core capabilities in the medical device development process.

CIMES is a medical device industry support base established by KERI in the Jinhae Public Rental Knowledge Industry Center with the support of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Changwon Special City, in cooperation with the Changwon Industrial Promotion Agency and the Korea Smart Healthcare Association.

CIMES, which quickly completed the construction of facilities and programs through a plaque ceremony in February of this year, plans to provide systematic support to help local medical device companies solve various problems they face in research and development (R&D) and commercialization.

The STAR program runs every Thursday, and on the 1st and 3rd week of the month, there are 'S day' and 'T day' led by KERI medical device and simulation experts, and on the 2nd and 4th week, there are 'S day' and 'T day' led by KERI medical device and simulation experts. There will be ‘A day’ and ‘R day’ with licensing and regulatory experts from the Korea Smart Healthcare Association.

Through this, participating companies can receive in-depth consulting free of charge in each key area, including technology, licensing, and regulation, and depending on the results of the consultation, they will also be linked to various corporate support programs operated by KERI.

On May 29, Medical Device Day, the first STAR day opening ceremony will be attended by Dr. Lee Hee-jun of KERI and Team Leader Song Yang-ho of the Korea Smart Healthcare Association, who will provide intensive consulting to participating companies such as Innomes Co., Ltd. (CEO Song Ho-jin) and T-System Co., Ltd. (CEO Kim Young-sil).

They plan to share the latest trends and practical know-how in each field, including medical device simulation, technological innovation, licensing procedures, and regulatory response, and support companies to resolve difficulties they face when entering the market and lay the foundation for successful commercialization.

“The STAR program is the first step toward growing medical device companies into ‘star companies’ by focusing on supporting the core tasks they face,” said KERI Corporate Support Office Director Lee Kyung-hee, who oversees the CIMES construction project. “We will continue to develop and operate various idea factory programs in addition to providing full-cycle support for medical devices through the Changwon Intelligent Medical Device Support Center.”

In addition, KERI Technology Commercialization Division Director Seo Gil-soo said, “CIMES will serve as a key hub that effectively transfers the advanced medical device R&D capabilities of researchers to companies and helps commercialize products,” adding, “Through this, it will greatly contribute to revitalizing not only the medical device industry in Korea but also regional industries including Changwon City.”

Meanwhile, this 'STAR program' is conducted completely free of charge. More detailed information and application methods can be found on the CIMES official website (https://www.keri.re.kr/cimes).

As a government-funded research institute, the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute plans to carry out diverse support activities to help local companies become competitive in the global market based on technological leadership and innovation in the medical device field.