Busan's Innovative Companies Achieve Global Breakthroughs in Singapore

Busan Special Zone Achieves Results at 'SWITCH 2025'
CIT Advances to SLINGSHOT Finals and Secures Follow-up Investment
Koai Announces Supply Agreement with Local Company

The Busan Research and Development Special Zone is enjoying tangible benefits from global investment projects in the field of technological innovation currently underway in Singapore.

The Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation (Chairman: Jeong Heegwon) announced on November 5 that it had participated in 'SWITCH 2025 (Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology)' and 'Tech Innovation 2025,' held in Singapore from October 29 to 31. The foundation reported visible achievements in expanding global market entry and investment networks for 13 innovative companies, including research-based enterprises from the Busan Special Zone.

SWITCH 2025 is Asia's largest technology innovation event, attracting more than 1,000 technology startups and global investment institutions from over 40 countries. Through this event, the Busan Special Zone promoted a variety of networking programs aimed at establishing itself as a global launchpad for domestic innovative companies.

Busan Special Zone research company, Koai Co., Ltd., and Estonian company MindChip Co., Ltd. are signing a Letter of Intent (LOI).

Prior to the main event, Pusan National University Technology Holdings Co., Ltd., the lead agency for the Busan Special Zone's deep-tech diffusion acceleration project, held the 'Pitch In Singapore' global IR program locally on October 28. Through this, participating companies were able to enhance their capabilities in attracting overseas investment and secure networking opportunities.

The participating companies showcased their technologies and business models to the Singaporean and Southeast Asian markets through IR pitching, networking with global venture capitalists, and meetings with local investment institutions. These efforts led to tangible results, including preliminary investment connections and the expansion of overseas sales channels.

During the event, companies from the Busan Special Zone centered their activities around the K-Startup Pavilion (Korea Joint Booth), conducting individual technology and product demonstrations, IR pitching, and meetings with local partners. They established follow-up pipelines focused on the three pillars of investment, market, and technology collaboration.

The participating companies held more than 30 purchase consultations and business meetings with global venture capitalists, local conglomerates, and accelerators. Some companies advanced to follow-up meetings with local investors, initiated PoC (pilot) projects, and discussed technology cooperation, marking progress toward overseas commercialization.

The Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation, Pusan National University Technology Holdings Co., Ltd., the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation of the Korea Maritime and Ocean University, and CIT Co., Ltd. are taking a commemorative photo at the SWITCH event in Singapore.

CIT Co., Ltd., a faculty startup from Pusan National University, reached the finals of 'SLINGSHOT 2025,' Asia's premier startup pitching competition, standing out among 6,800 companies worldwide. As a representative innovative company of the Busan Special Zone, CIT was recognized for its global market competitiveness and growth potential, and received indications of follow-up investment from Singaporean institutions.

In addition, Koai Co., Ltd., a research-based company from the Busan Special Zone, participated in '2025 Tech Innovation' with support from the National Korea Maritime University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation. Koai completed the signing of an LOI and NDA to supply its 'KOBOT,' an unmanned marine pollution response robot currently undergoing PoC with Hyundai Corporation, to a local Estonian company, establishing a bridgehead for entering the European market.

The Busan Special Zone plans to use this participation as a springboard to actively promote the establishment of a 'Busan Special Zone-Southeast Asia Technology Cooperation Hub.' By doing so, it aims to regularize global commercialization programs such as open innovation, overseas PoC, and co-development linked to neighboring markets like Vietnam and Thailand, with Singapore as the central hub, thereby accelerating its leap toward becoming a global commercialization platform.

An official from the Research and Development Special Zone stated, "Through our participation in SWITCH 2025 and Tech Innovation, innovative companies from the Busan Special Zone have been officially recognized for their technological capabilities and growth potential on the global stage," adding, "We will build an innovation ecosystem centered on the Busan Special Zone, where global expansion, investment attraction, and technology collaboration create a virtuous cycle."

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