The Nation's Only 'Youth Startup Festival' Opens Online from the 17th

Various Programs Including Startup Competition and Smartin App Challenge 진행

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 17th that it has declared the 'Youth Bizcool Week' as a linked event of COMEUP, Asia's premier startup festival, and will hold the 'Youth Bizcool Festival' online until the 21st.

The 'Youth Bizcool Festival' is the only domestic youth entrepreneurship and startup festival that shares and spreads the achievements of Youth Bizcool (a compound word of Business+School, meaning "learning management at school"), aimed at nurturing 'convergent creative talents' with entrepreneurial spirit such as dreams, talents, challenges, and initiative.

Marking its 14th year, the Youth Bizcool Festival will be held online due to strengthened social distancing measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, under the theme 'Bizcool Online Expedition Team (Slogan: Ride the Online Wave Together UP, Value UP)'.

At this event, participants can create avatars and communicate through the ZEPETO app (named after the grandfather of Pinocchio). Technologies such as facial recognition, augmented reality (AR), and 3D are utilized.

From the 20th, the final presentation of excellent items by middle and high school students who passed the preliminary round, the 'Startup Competition (COMEUP BizCool)', will be held over two days. From 487 Bizcool schools' startup clubs, 6 middle school teams and 14 high school teams will compete in the finals, presenting innovative products such as cups that prevent condensation and UV light elevator button sterilizers, and will also undergo mock investment evaluations.

Other programs include the announcement of outstanding works from the 'Smartin App Challenge', the largest app development competition in Korea, 4th industrial revolution technology experiences using AI teaching aids, experiential programs such as Bizcool quarantine product production, quiz shows, alumni meetings, and various other activities.

Cha Jung-hoon, Director of the Startup Venture Innovation Office at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, "When meeting startup CEOs, they discovered what they wanted to do from their youth and kept challenging themselves until they excelled," adding, "We will continue to pay attention and support Bizcool so that youth can grow into global talents with entrepreneurial and challenging spirits suited to the rapidly changing era of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the non-face-to-face era."

For more detailed information about the event, please visit the 2020 Youth Bizcool Festival online website.

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