The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), the core technology institution of the Changwon Small Giant Special Zone in Gyeongnam, is set to identify promising technology-based companies in the region and begin providing systematic support for their growth.

The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute is recruiting participants for the 'Innopolis Campus KERITOR (KERI+accelerator) 5th Cohort' until May 22, and for the 'Regional Specialization Development Project' from May until the budget is exhausted.

'Innopolis Campus' is a program designed to foster excellent technology startups by supporting them to become self-reliant through customized education and benefits. The recruitment targets are prospective entrepreneurs or early-stage startups with less than three years of experience who possess promising technology and creative ideas. In particular, this year, the 5th cohort of KERITOR is recruiting prospective and early-stage entrepreneurs by dividing them into specialized fields (electric propulsion mobility) and general fields (technologies other than specialized fields).

Teams selected for the 5th cohort of KERITOR will receive various benefits, including: △corporate analysis and verification through 1:1 expert matching; △support for investor relations (IR) activities and the production of Technology Credit Bids (TCB) to attract investment; △technology consulting and collaboration support; △opportunities to participate in local investment consultations in Japan and other countries; and △linkage to startup projects and commercialization funds (up to 10 million KRW) from related organizations.

In addition, the Changwon Small but Strong Special Zone plans to provide KERITOR with the 'KERI-MATE' program, which supports the entire cycle of technology startups, in collaboration with 'Gyeongnam Venture Investment,' a large-scale investment company in the Gyeongnam region, and to support direct and indirect investment opportunities (over 1.5 billion KRW) to drive corporate growth as well as global expansion.

The 'Regional Specialization Development Project' is a program designed to foster local companies into 'Changwon-style small giants' by resolving their technical challenges and supporting commercialization.

The project is broadly divided into a 'Tech-Up' sector that provides one-stop support from product concept planning to commercialization, and a 'Value-Up' sector that supports the growth and resolution of technical difficulties for companies in the special zone through management consulting based on corporate diagnosis, public relations and marketing, market development, and testing and certification.

This year, the goal is to additionally launch a new 'simulation support' sector to resolve difficulties faced by companies in the special zone during the product development process and to contribute to reducing opportunity costs.

The recruitment targets for the Regional Specialization Development Project are companies located in the Changwon Small Giants Special Zone, or those conducting business in the zone's specialized field of 'Intelligent Electric-based Mechanical Convergence' within the region, or those utilizing public technology These are companies that received the transfer, etc.

Over the past year, a total of 36 companies benefited from this project, including product commercialization, increased sales, and internal and external awards.

The total budget for this year is 773 million won, and support of up to 50 million won per company is provided depending on the project.

Lee Geon-woong, Head of Strategic Policy at KERI, stated, “We will contribute significantly to the growth of companies and the development of the region by providing step-by-step, customized support exclusively for companies in the Changwon Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Special Zone,” and added, “We ask for the strong interest of companies possessing promising technologies.”

For detailed information on how to apply for the Innopolis Campus and the regional specialization development project, please refer to the project announcement on the Changwon Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Special Zone website (www.madeinchangwon.com) or contact the KERI SME Special Zone Planning Office (Innopolis Campus T.055-280-1066 / Regional Specialization Development Project T.055-280-1063).

Meanwhile, KERI is a government-funded research institute under the National Science and Technology Research Council of the Ministry of Science and ICT. Since its designation in 2019, the Changwon Small Giant Special Zone has invested a total of 17.66 billion won to support the discovery of technologies related to "intelligent electric-based mechanical convergence," technology transfer and commercialization, and the specialized growth of small giant technology startups. Through this, it has achieved economic support effects totaling 198.4 billion won, including 89 technology transfers (7.5 billion won), the establishment of 27 research institute companies and 47 startups in specialized fields, sales of 94.64 billion won, and investment linkages of 103.79 billion won. It is evaluated as having made a significant contribution to the creation of a startup ecosystem and regional economic development.