Dongshin University Selected as Finalist for 'Maker Space Specialized Lab'

Innovation City Energy Cluster 1st and 7th Floors, 1404㎡ Area

7 Billion KRW Support Over 5 Years... Establishing a Hub for New Energy Industries

18 Organizations Including Jeonnam Province, Naju City, and Army 31st Division Participating

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Dongshin University (President Choi Il) has been finally selected in the ‘Maker Space Specialized Lab’ category (approximately 7 billion KRW over 5 years) representing the Honam region.

According to Dongshin University on the 10th, as part of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ 2020 Maker Space Establishment and Operation Project, 491 institutions applied this year, and the joy was experienced as 4 specialized labs and 62 general labs were finally selected. Only Yonsei University and Dongshin University were selected among universities.

Maker Spaces are broadly divided into general and specialized types based on their support functions. General Maker Spaces provide maker education and creative activity experiences for students and the general public.

The specialized type adds to the general functions by utilizing professional equipment to support advanced creative activities, prototype production, initial mass production, and startup commercialization.

Following the project selection, Dongshin University will receive 2.2 billion KRW this year to establish related facilities and will build a total of 1,404㎡ ‘Maker’s Energy FARM’ on the 1st and 7th floors of the Dongshin University Energy Cluster in the Innovation City with a project budget of about 7 billion KRW over the next five years to foster professional makers.

In particular, to nurture professional makers in the new energy industry based on the 4th Industrial Revolution, the FARM (Fundamental of IoE, Adventure Design, Research and Development, Management and Marketing) program will be extensively operated.

Educational programs based on the 4th Industrial Revolution such as energy management, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and big data will be opened, and a ‘Visiting Makers Bus’ will be operated for the general public to visit every corner of the Honam region, contributing to the spread of maker culture.

Support will be provided for specialized education in new energy industries based on the 4th Industrial Revolution, prototype design and production, specialized programs for research and development, professional education, and performance testing and demonstration through open source and DIY development.

Successful startups will be supported through management and marketing, and maker coordinators will also be trained.

As the central university of Gwangju-Jeonnam Innovation City specializing in the new energy industry, Dongshin University plans to focus on nurturing startups in related fields and establish itself as a creative base where the general public can turn creative ideas into prototypes following this project selection.

The 1st floor will be operated as a living-close creative activity and education/experience open space where anyone can easily access and realize and share their imagination and ideas.

Basic maker education and experience education will be conducted to expand the technological base, including Arduino education using electronic circuit boards, 3D modeling education learned through 3D printers, app development based on artificial intelligence and big data, and digital integrated circuits.

The 7th floor will be an incubating space where anyone can become a prospective entrepreneur and where entrepreneurs who are always challenging themselves can work. A professional maker space equipped with a creative workshop, specialized prototype production room, secondary battery specialized production room, demonstration evaluation room, and virtual creation education room will be established to enhance startup synergy effects.

Here, prospective entrepreneurs will research and develop IoE application startup items and secondary battery materials and parts, produce prototypes, and nurture their startup dreams.

Support for IoE prototype production and demonstration, prototype production for business feasibility evaluation, energy material parts startup demonstration, and operation of an open lab with resident professors covering blockchain and big data will be provided to demonstrate startup items and solve technical difficulties.

18 institutions including Jeonnam Province, Naju City, Damyang County, Hampyeong County, Jangseong County, the 31st Army Division, KEPCO KDN, Korea Communications Agency, Private School Teachers’ Pension, Green Energy Research Institute, Energy Valley Industry-Academia Convergence Center, Energy Valley Enterprise Development Institute, Korea Battery Industry Association, Jeonnam Social Innovation Network Secondary Battery Recycling Center, Hanbit Energy Policy Forum, Commax Ventures, Duho Patent Corporation, and Patent Corporation Jiwon will participate as Maker Space partner institutions to jointly carry out the project.

Also, collaborative institutions such as the Korea Battery Industry Association and Jeonnam Social Innovation Network Secondary Battery Recycling Center will move in to conduct specialized startup incubation for secondary batteries.

Dongshin University expects that once the startup infrastructure is established through the Maker Space, it will generate an economic effect of about 1 billion KRW annually, support more than 50 K-energy startups annually, and create a startup boom in the new energy industry sector, resulting in significant industrial and social effects.

Lee Dong-hwi, head of the Dongshin University Maker Space Project Group, said, “By establishing the nation’s only specialized Maker Space lab in the energy new industry regulatory free zone, which attracts people nationwide, we plan to continuously present business models for new and existing entrepreneurs through connections with local governments, public institutions, research support institutions, and startup support organizations.” He added, “We want to contribute to job creation and economic development in the region by spreading maker culture locally and fostering startups in the new energy industry sector.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.