Which Startup Will Solve the L'Or?al·SKT Issue?

L'Or?al and Eco-Friendly Packaging Materials, SKT Select Key Players to Collaborate on Future Integrated Transportation System Development

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Startup problem solvers are emerging one after another to solve the concerns of large corporations. L'Or?al is focusing on eco-friendly packaging materials, while SK Telecom is meeting startups to develop future integrated transportation systems.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Park Young-sun, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry) announced on the 18th that it held the final selection competitions for L'Or?al Korea's eco-friendly materials for secondary cosmetic packaging and SK Telecom's T-map-based integrated transportation system contest as the first phase of the 'Large Corporation-Startup Problem Solver Platform.' The Large Corporation-Startup Problem Solver Platform is a win-win cooperation policy that connects large corporations and startups to solve each other's problems together and complement each other's different capabilities. This first-time contest attracted significant interest, with 9 large corporations and 208 startups participating. The finals, which began with KT on the 16th, will continue by task until the 26th, with a total of 43 startups participating.

L'Or?al Korea presented the task of 'Developing eco-friendly materials for secondary cosmetic packaging' to achieve 100% recycling or use of eco-friendly materials for product packaging by 2030. The goal is to develop eco-friendly materials that can replace plastics used in secondary cosmetic packaging, meeting all requirements of 'transparency, flexibility, and biodegradability,' while securing economic feasibility with appropriate production costs. Four startups showcased packaging manufacturing technologies using different natural materials such as seaweed, rice, and rice husks in the finals. They also demonstrated a method to enhance biodegradability by adding promoters that accelerate oxidation to existing vinyl materials. Cha Jung-hoon, Director of the Startup Venture Innovation Office at the Ministry, said, "The manufacturing sector requires significant costs from planning, technology development, demonstration, and mass production testing to production, so cooperation with demand companies is essential for startups to grow, and L'Or?al has provided a great opportunity for startups." He added, "The Ministry will also strive to nurture startups in the manufacturing sector."

SK Telecom proposed the task of 'Developing an integrated transportation system' and recently announced plans for full-scale business expansion in the mobility sector based on the navigation system T-map, promoting the establishment of a mobility specialized company. Accordingly, 19 startups participated in the integrated transportation system task, which efficiently connects various modes of transportation, and after two evaluation stages, six companies advanced to the final round. They demonstrated the potential of startups in the future automotive software field by linking all transportation modes, including shared vehicles, bicycles, and single-person electric scooters, which have recently seen increased usage, and recommending multi-party routes. An SK Telecom official involved in the judging said, "In addition to the integrated system connecting various transportation modes proposed as the task, startups showed diverse ideas and possessed technical skills," adding, "We plan to cooperate with the selected startups to build integrated mobility."

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