Seminar and business meeting for autonomous driving small and medium-sized enterprises held.
Rideflux shares the case of Autonomous A2Z.
Kolon Investment, Infobank, and Kairos Ventures participated.


The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Autonomous and Cooperative Driving Industry Development Council (hereafter, the Council) held a seminar and business meeting on the 2nd at the The-K Hotel in Seoul to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the autonomous driving industry. Launched in March 2018, the Council aims to foster collaboration among large, medium, and small businesses and support technology development to revitalize the autonomous and cooperative driving industry. 297 companies are participating.

The first part of the seminar shared information on the government's various autonomous cooperative driving support projects, and the second part, a business meeting, provided competitive small and medium-sized enterprises with opportunities to attract new investment.

At the seminar, the Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute (KATRI) explained the "K-City" project, a dedicated autonomous driving test site open to SMEs, universities, and other companies free of charge to support autonomous vehicle research and development. The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KISA) categorized its SME R&D support programs into company-led, collaborative, and policy-oriented types, and presented the current status of support this year and plans for next year. △The Innobiz Association explained the Innobiz certification, which is granted to companies with future growth potential, and the benefits that can be received upon obtaining the certification.

Additionally, the case studies of Rideflux and Autonomous A2Z, which plan to provide autonomous driving commercial transportation services in autonomous vehicle pilot zones designated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, were shared. Rideflux presented its plan to offer autonomous driving commercial transportation services near Jeju Airport in collaboration with Socar, while Autonomous A2Z, in collaboration with Kakao Mobility, presented its plan to offer autonomous driving commercial transportation services near the Sejong Government Complex.

The seminar content can be viewed again on the council's YouTube channel .

The business meeting was attended by three venture capital firms, including Kolon Investment, Infobank, and Kairos Ventures, and ten SMEs. A total of 24 one-on-one meetings were held between the venture capital firms and SMEs. This meeting provided a platform for venture capital firms interested in investing in the autonomous driving field to connect with SMEs seeking new investment. The meeting included presentations on the SMEs' corporate activities (IR) and detailed discussions on investment strategies based on the company's stage.

Kim Jeong-hee, Director General of Automotive Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, “We will continue to work to create an ecosystem where large, medium and small businesses in the autonomous driving field can coexist, and to achieve the policy goal of commercializing the world’s first fully autonomous vehicle by 2027.”