KT Hires New AI, Big Data, and Cloud Professionals
Recruiting companies to participate in the Biz Collaboration program until September
A cloud space for startups opens in Pangyo.


KT, which declared its transformation from a mobile communications company (telco) to a digital platform company (Digico), is expanding its digital innovation (DX) capabilities both internally and externally.

KT announced on the 15th that it will hire 300 new employees, a 20% increase over last year. The recruitment period runs from the 15th to the 29th, and the company will focus on securing talent in the ABC (AI, Big Data, and Cloud) fields. Furthermore, the company plans to accelerate its digital transformation by securing network operations personnel.

◇ Promoting collaboration with small and medium-sized enterprises in AI, big data, and cloud computing.

On the 16th, KT, in collaboration with the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, began accepting applications for the 5th "Biz Collaboration" program. This program, which KT has been running annually since 2017, identifies promising business ideas for collaboration among small and medium-sized venture companies. From the ideation stage, these ideas are matched with relevant KT business departments to support joint commercialization. To date, we have carried out joint business projects with 63 venture companies, and have invested in 6 of them.

KT is focusing on AI, big data, cloud computing, media, finance, robotics, and health to accelerate its transformation and growth into a Digico company. This year, the company plans to select venture companies with outstanding technologies in these fields. A total of 15 companies will be selected, and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis from the 16th to early September via the application page .

Selected companies will receive up to 70 million won in support for R&D, patent applications, prototype production, and marketing and public relations expenses. After selection, additional funding of up to 30 million won may be granted through follow-up evaluations, bringing the total support to 100 million won. This represents a doubling of the amount from last year.

In addition, since last year, KT has been participating in the 'Gwanak S Valley' project, a venture startup cluster centered around Daehak-dong and Naksungdae-dong, in cooperation with Gwanak-gu and Seoul National University to revitalize the startup ecosystem, and is promoting a program to discover and nurture excellent startups.

Among the companies participating in 'Gwanak S Valley', if they are able to pursue a joint project with KT, they will be provided with additional business collaboration benefits through a separate screening process. The selection process for Gwanak S Valley companies is conducted separately from the existing business collaboration.

KT SCM Strategy Office Director Shin Geum-seok said, “This year, we will focus on discovering new growth businesses centered on ABC (AI, Big Data, Cloud),” and “We will create new digital innovation (DX) services with potential small and medium-sized venture companies and lead their growth as digital companies.”

Expanding Cloud Support for Startups

On the 19th, KT opened "KT Cloud Open Space" in the Startup Zone operated by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. KT plans to make this a venue for collaborative growth and collaboration among startups based on KT's cloud technology.

Located in the Pangyo 2nd Techno Valley Business Support Hub in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, the Startup Zone, Korea's largest startup support cluster, offers shared resources and spaces for networking with resident companies and technological collaboration. This makes it an ideal location for collaborating with startups.

KT plans to engage in collaborative activities with startups through Cloud Open Space, including KT Cloud technology training, KT Cloud-based consulting, and technical support. Through the project contest, KT Cloud plans to provide new partnerships and commercialization opportunities.

The Cloud Open Space features a consulting room, demonstration/demo room, and test lab where KT cloud technology training and startup collaboration programs are implemented. KT provides guidance on KT cloud services and immediate technical support through its resident staff and partners. If new business development or R&D collaboration is needed, KT connects with a group of KT cloud experts.

Kim Seung-woon, executive director of KT's IT division's infrastructure service division, expressed his ambition, saying, "With the opening of KT Cloud Open Space, we will actively collaborate with domestic startups to enable them to grow together by connecting with the native cloud ecosystem."