Domestic researchers have decided to form a single team with companies and research departments collaborating in the same space to achieve early technology commercialization and jointly embark on market pioneering that is difficult for companies to undertake alone.

On the 29th, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) held a plaque unveiling ceremony for the 'Joint Commercialization Lab (1-TEAM LAB),' an open industry-research collaboration space, at the Convergence Technology Research and Production Center within the institute.

The Joint Commercialization Lab is a laboratory designed to enable companies and research departments to collaborate in the same space and achieve technology commercialization at an early stage.

It is essentially a joint research space operated for the purpose of providing an open industry-research collaboration space and supporting follow-up commercialization such as prototypes and test verification.

Companies selected for the Joint Commercialization Lab receive close support for prototype production, testing, and demonstration, including support for 3D printing, PCB/SMT, and SW testing and verification, production cost discounts for mold/injection molding support, and priority linkage to the demonstration network testbed.

For this joint commercialization lab, technical feasibility, marketability, business viability, and the potential for technology commercialization success were comprehensively evaluated.

The selected teams are Blue Tile Lab Co., Ltd.-ETRI Diagnostic and Therapeutic Devices Laboratory and The Pitch Co., Ltd.-ETRI AirmobileThere are two teams, including the Riti Research Headquarters.

The ETRI Diagnostic and Therapeutic Device Research Laboratory, selected along with Blue Tile Lab Co., Ltd., has succeeded in developing a femtosecond laser using semiconductor light-emitting devices that are 80–90% lower cost than foreign products, and verification of technological capabilities and commercialization through collaboration with companies are essential.

Blue Tile Lab Co., Ltd. is an ETRI research spin-off company that develops femtosecond lasers based on semiconductor light-emitting devices.

It is pursuing business diversification into fields such as semiconductors, displays, and medical services. We are also receiving dispatched personnel from the research institute through technology investment and on-site support for commercialization.

It is a promising company expected to grow into a unicorn company in the future by securing R&D funds and producing prototypes through the joint commercialization lab.

Blue Tile Lab Co., Ltd. has recently been recognized for its technological capabilities and market potential, having secured a Series A investment worth 5 billion won and been selected for the Scale-up TIPS program.

Accordingly, Blue Tile Lab Co., Ltd. and the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Devices Laboratory at ETRI have agreed to jointly pursue the joint development and commercialization of femtosecond lasers using semiconductor light-emitting devices through the selection of this joint commercialization lab, and to strive for successful commercialization.

The ETRI Air Mobility Research Division, selected together with The Pitch Co., Ltd., is overseeing the DNA+Drone Technology Development Project.

We are developing technology that transmits large volumes of 4K UHD data acquired from drones in real time via 5G and analyzes ground objects miniaturized by aerial photography using real-time AI.

However, there are many difficulties in applying advanced technology to crops.

In rural areas where crops are grown, the communication environment is poor, and for the commercialization of the technology, technology downsizing (5G→LTE, 4K→FHD) is also required during the production process.

The Pitch Co., Ltd. can conduct research with ETRI and provide consulting on the construction of crop drone monitoring servers and standardization of crop still image data.

As a crop drone monitoring service company, it won the Grand Prize in the Idea category with the 'Open Field Smart Farm Decision Support Service' and the Excellence Award in the Service category with the 'Drone Pest Control Quality Management Service' at the 2023 Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Public & Big Data Utilization Startup Competition.

Through this joint commercialization lab, The Pitch Co., Ltd. is developing commercial services through the establishment and utilization of a testbed, and MoniWe plan to proceed with early commercialization by developing a Turing drone prototype and launching a crop drone monitoring service.

ETRI President Bang Seung-chan stated, “I hope the Joint Commercialization Lab at the Convergence Technology Research and Production Center will establish itself as a successful model of mutually beneficial cooperation between companies and government-funded research institutes. Moving forward, we will strive to achieve early technology commercialization by establishing and continuously expanding a collaborative performance dissemination system that organically links research results with support for corporate growth.”

To be selected for the Joint Commercialization Lab, a company must have received or be scheduled to receive technology transfer from a researcher and be planning to commercialize the technology within two years.

Companies selected for the Joint Commercialization Lab will be provided with office space within the Convergence Technology Research and Production Center for one year. After evaluating their progress and performance, a decision will be made regarding whether to extend the period for an additional year.