Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University, and 2 Other Universities in Seodaemun-gu Transform into Youth Startup Campus Towns

Yonsei University, Myongji College, Seoul Women's Nursing University, Ewha Womans University Support Startup Spaces and Programs

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] The area around university campuses in Seodaemun-gu is transforming into a Campus Town that discovers startup resources and fosters youth entrepreneurship.

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) announced on the 20th that it will fully operate the second year of the Campus Town project, where public institutions, universities, and local communities collaborate to spread startup culture and create a startup ecosystem hub.

Yonsei University, Myongji College, Seoul Women’s College of Nursing, and Ewha Womans University, selected last year in the ‘Seoul City Campus Town Contest,’ have completed the establishment of startup support facilities and are supporting young entrepreneurs by providing business spaces and systematically operating startup nurturing programs.

Yonsei University, participating in the ‘comprehensive’ project covering regional cooperation, commercial districts, and culture, receives 10 billion KRW over four years, while the other three universities participating in the ‘unit-type’ project to promote youth startup activities receive 1.5 billion KRW over three years.

Last year, startup spaces, commercialization funds, and mentoring were provided to 94 startup teams: 60 from Yonsei University, 15 from Myongji College, 3 from Seoul Women’s College of Nursing, and 16 from Ewha Womans University.

This year, Yonsei University will select 55 university student and salmon-type startup teams through a startup competition, assist their move into the Campus Town ‘S-Cube,’ and provide systematic support such as startup education and networking.

Additionally, five cultural startup teams will be selected to revitalize local culture and foster cultural ventures. For reference, ‘salmon-type startup teams’ refer to those who return to the Campus Town to start a business after gaining social experience following university graduation.

Myongji College will discover and support 17 teams specialized in the Fourth Industrial Revolution fields. They will nurture media commerce youth startup teams suited for the non-face-to-face era, develop new startup models, and provide opportunities to move into startup spaces for the final five teams that pass four stages of mentoring and evaluation.

Ewha Womans University focuses on discovering and nurturing startup teams in the style tech field. Style tech refers to a new industry that combines fashion and beauty with the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. A total of 17 teams will be selected and supported: 10 prospective startup teams, 6 early-stage startups within three years, and 1 growth-stage startup within five years.

Seoul Women’s College of Nursing will discover five teams in the healthcare field based on health and medical services and support their startups through programs such as the HAHA (Healthy Aging & Happy Aging) Startup Academy.

In particular, to expand support for startup teams and advance the project, additional startup support facilities will be established. Following the completion of Yonsei University’s S-Cube Branch 1 (61 Yonsei-ro 2na-gil) in December last year, Branch 2 will be established near Sinchon Station on the Gyeongui-Jungang Line this year, providing space for 20 teams.

Myongji College will add MJC Startup Center 2 following MJC Startup Center 1, Seoul Women’s College of Nursing will add space within the HAHA Startup Center, and Ewha Womans University will prepare product and service shooting spaces for startup companies and local small business owners.

Moon Seok-jin, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, stated, “We will strive to make the Campus Town project a focal point that revitalizes areas around university campuses and promotes youth startups and jobs through cooperation between the local community and universities.”

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