Gwangju Changgyeong Center and Ministry of SMEs Hold Meeting to Expand Startup Ecosystem

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Gwangju Center for Creative Economy and Innovation announced on the 21st that it held a meeting to share the achievements of the AI Startup Camp in the Gwangju area, which opened in 2021, and to explore the development direction of local companies together by listening to the on-site voices of resident companies and support organizations.

The meeting, attended by Kang Sung-chun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Ha Sang-yong, Director of the Gwangju Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, and 11 resident companies of the AI Startup Camp, was a time to confirm the openness, sharing, and convenience of the AI Startup Camp, share difficulties to eliminate regional disparities in the AI industry in Gwangju, and pledge to leap forward as an advanced cluster.

In addition, officials responsible for corporate investment support to strengthen startup and investment capabilities in the Gwangju area, such as the Korea Angel Investment Association Honam Angel Investment Hub, also participated, facilitating the exchange of various opinions to minimize regional investment gaps.

Including Cloudstone, which recently raised 1.5 billion KRW, and Next Story among the 11 companies, opinions were conveyed regarding regional regulatory improvements for business expansion, the spread of TIPS Towns in non-capital regions, and securing excellent professional developers. In response, Vice Minister Kang encouraged participation in various programs within institutions including the Gwangju Center for Creative Economy and Innovation and decided to actively review solutions.

A representative of one company participating in the meeting said, “Gwangju is a good city to start a business, but when looking at support policies, there are times of frustration due to disparities in non-capital regions.” He added, “It was a time to share the difficulties we personally experience and to convey opinions for regional deregulation and improvement of investment support systems.”

Ha Sang-yong, Director of the Gwangju Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, said, “It was also an opportunity for the Gwangju Center for Creative Economy and Innovation to understand the difficulties of the representatives and to consider various support measures.” He added, “The Gwangju Center for Creative Economy and Innovation will become the center of entrepreneurship in Gwangju, build networks, and operate support to eliminate regional disparities experienced by local entrepreneurs.”

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