Pohang City Produces Two 'Advanced Technology Companies' Within Two Years of Being Designated as a Small Giant Special Zone

Wonsoftdime and AENPoly to Invest 25.4 Billion KRW by 2024
2 of 4 'Ministry of Science and ICT Certified' Companies Born in Pohang This Year

Mayor Lee Gang-deok of Pohang City presenting the Ministry of Science and ICT Advanced Technology Company Certification Plaque to Lee Dae-ho, CEO of One Soft Dime.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dong-guk Lee] Two companies in the Pohang area, Wonsoftdime Co., Ltd. and AN Poly Co., Ltd., were designated as advanced technology companies by the Ministry of Science and ICT within the Small Giant R&D Special Zone.

At the plaque awarding ceremony held on the 14th, Pohang Mayor Kang-Duk Lee, Pohang Small Giant Special Zone Promotion Center Director Sang-woo Kim, representatives of advanced technology companies, and company officials attended. The event included plaque presentation, on-site opinion gathering, and visits to company research institutes.

The Ministry of Science and ICT designates companies residing in the special zone as 'advanced technology companies' if they meet requirements such as holding patents for advanced technologies/products, the ratio of sales generated based on advanced technology, and the ratio of R&D expenses.

Pohang City achieved the designation of two advanced technology companies last month, two years after being designated as a Small Giant R&D Special Zone in June 2019. The designated companies correspond to the 3rd and 4th among the total four designated companies in the 12 Small Giant Special Zones nationwide.

Wonsoftdime Co., Ltd. received certification for its advanced technology product, the 'Platform-linked Portable Body Composition Analyzer.' It is a mobile healthcare specialized company developing a portable smart measurement device and a customized lifestyle health service solution utilizing measurement results. The company established overseas subsidiaries in the Netherlands and the United States and achieved exports worth 300 million KRW to 14 countries in 2019.

Mayor Lee Gang-deok presenting the plaque of an advanced technology company to Noh Sang-chul, CEO of ANPoly.

AN Poly Co., Ltd. is an eco-friendly bio-new material specialized company recognized for its advanced technology products, including the 'Nano Cellulose Dispersion-based C1 Gas Conversion Efficiency Improvement Technology.' The company possesses the technological capability and potential to grow as a future innovation-leading company, having been selected as a BIG3 Innovation Growth Support Company and one of the 1000 National Representative Innovative Companies.

In particular, both companies, which were founded and grew in Pohang, plan to invest 25.4 billion KRW by 2024 in the Pohang Convergence Technology Industrial Complex during the factory construction phase for business expansion, and 46 jobs are expected to be created.

Advanced technology companies receive tax benefits such as 100% corporate tax exemption for three years, 50% exemption for the following two years, acquisition tax exemption, 100% property tax exemption for seven years, and 50% exemption for the subsequent three years. They also receive additional points when participating in special zone promotion projects.

Mayor Kang-Duk Lee said, "I hope that advanced technology companies will lead the innovative growth of the Small Giant R&D Special Zone, playing a significant role in job creation and revitalizing the local economy," and pledged, "The city will actively strive to create an industrial ecosystem where companies with innovative technologies can grow."

Meanwhile, Pohang City is accelerating the creation of an advanced new material industry ecosystem where 'technology-startup-growth' circulates positively by investing 4.8 billion KRW this year in the commercialization of technology in the Small Giant R&D Special Zone.

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