Seoul City to Accelerate Technology Development by '1-on-1 Matching' Between Campus Town Startups and University Professors-Researchers

Professors and Researchers from 36 Universities Drive Win-Win Cooperation between Companies and Universities through Industry-Academia Collaboration Network

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 25th that it will lower the barriers and simplify the procedures of the ‘Campustown Technology Matching Project,’ which matches Campustown companies with innovative ideas and university researchers one-on-one to support technology commercialization such as technology development and consulting. This improvement aims to enable more companies to receive support for technology development quickly and stably.

The ‘Seoul Campustown Technology Matching Project’ is a program that supports technology development and consulting by matching startup companies that face technical difficulties during the technology development process or have creative ideas but lack technical capabilities with experts such as professors and researchers from universities.

Starting this year, the project is operated exclusively by the Seoul Institute of Technology, accelerating the project implementation by two months. A two-stage in-depth evaluation system is introduced when selecting technology development tasks to enhance expertise and fairness. Selected startups are given the opportunity to extend their stay in Campustown startup spaces until the completion of technology development, allowing companies to focus stably on technology development. To reduce difficulties caused by procedures such as writing technology development plans, a ‘technology development planning consulting’ stage is provided on an ongoing basis.

Support and management for company growth continue even after technology development is completed through the ‘Seoul Campustown Technology Matching.’ The city supports prototype demonstrations throughout Seoul for excellent technology development outcomes of startups and assists in attracting investment for company growth. It plans to strengthen customized support for the entire growth cycle to promote commercialization after technology development.

Meanwhile, now in its third year, the ‘Seoul Campustown Technology Matching Project’ has supported 57 selected companies since 2020, providing technology development support to 26 companies and consulting to solve technical difficulties to 31 companies. Among the 18 companies selected in 2020 whose agreements ended this year, achievements include 1.2 billion KRW in investment attraction and 8.8 billion KRW in sales, contributing to the creation of a youth startup ecosystem in Campustown.

Seoul Campustown startups wishing to participate in the ‘Seoul Campustown Technology Matching Project’ can apply from the 27th through the New Technology Reception Center or the Campustown online platform. Applications for technology development are accepted until July 29, and for technology consulting until October 31. The application period may close earlier if the budget is exhausted.

Hwang Bo-yeon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Economic Policy Office, said, “The technology matching project supports technology commercialization in response to the rapidly changing market environment and supports the qualitative growth of early-stage Campustown startups. Starting this year, we will expand support throughout the entire growth cycle of companies to ensure that technology development outcomes through industry-academia cooperation can be firmly established in the market.”

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