KEAC SME Center Holds 'Leap Program Summit' and Presents Strategies for Scaling Up to Medium-Sized Enterprises

Growth Strategies and Directions Presented for 100 Mid-Sized Companies
Sharing Industry Trends and On-Site Solutions
Featuring Trend Korea, AI Management Strategies, and Practical ChatGPT Applications
One-on-One In-Depth Consulting by Dedicated Directors

The Korea Economic Association SME Cooperation Center (KEAC SME Center) announced on November 3 that it held the "Leap Program Summit" at the Grand Ballroom on the first floor of the FKI Tower Conference Center in Yeouido, Seoul.

Employees of tenant companies are moving at the Korea Economic Association in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

This event was organized as a networking and information exchange platform to support the business growth and competitiveness of promising mid-sized companies participating in the Leap Program. The event was attended by around 200 people, including key institutional representatives such as Kim Changbum, Chairman of the KEAC SME Center (Vice Chairman of KEAC), Lee Byungchul, Deputy President of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, and executives and employees from participating companies.

The Leap Program is a project by the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency that provides comprehensive and systematic support for mid-sized companies to enter new businesses and new markets, enabling them to scale up to become medium-sized enterprises. Mid-sized companies are defined according to Article 2 of the Framework Act on Small and Medium Enterprises and Articles 3 and 8 of its Enforcement Decree, and must be recognized by obtaining a certificate of SME status within the valid period.

The program is operated by selecting 100 promising mid-sized companies and providing comprehensive and systematic support for their entry into new businesses and new markets over a three-year period. To this end, four programs are provided in collaboration with global consulting firms, a management advisory group (KEAC SME Center), and research institutions: Directing, Open Voucher, Networking, and Policy Linkage.

In the Leap Program, the KEAC SME Center participates as a dedicated director organization alongside the KEAC Management Advisory Group, which consists of former CEOs and executives from large corporations who are now professional managers. The center provides close support to 100 companies by matching each with an expert, assisting them throughout the entire process from developing new business strategies and resolving management challenges to building networks. The KEAC Management Advisory Group is composed of 192 consulting experts and advisors who are former CEOs and executives of large corporations, as well as 34 experts in related fields such as law, taxation, and labor. Since its establishment in 2004, the group has provided free consulting and advisory services to approximately 15,000 SMEs, sharing management know-how and business experience.

At the summit, lecture sessions under the theme "Scale-Up Implementation Strategies," ranging from trend analysis to purchasing consultations, were held in the morning and afternoon. The lectures were designed to share the latest industry trends and address practical management challenges. In the morning, Professor Jun Miyoung of Seoul National University delivered a special lecture on "Trend Korea 2026," and Kim Taehun, Executive Director of LG Uplus, gave a talk titled "From Survival to Scaling Up in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)." In the afternoon, there were investment and legal seminars, practical sessions on applying ChatGPT to work, and purchasing consultations with large corporations, all aimed at helping participating companies expand their sales channels and secure new growth engines. Purchasing managers from large corporations directly consulted with participating companies, creating opportunities for substantial business cooperation.

Even after this summit, the KEAC SME Center plans to further strengthen its expertise and effectiveness by supplementing its team with field-experienced experts, particularly in new business areas where corporate demand is increasing. Choo Kwangho, Director of the KEAC SME Center, explained, "The dedicated director system goes beyond simple consulting to serve as a growth partner that drives real change for companies," adding, "Through field-oriented management advisory services, we will actively support participating companies in gaining global competitiveness and making a leap forward."

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