Ulsan’s Remarkable Transformation: Named “Rising Startup Ecosystem Star in East Asia 2025” and Gaining Attention from Asia’s Startup Scene

Online Awards Ceremony Hosted by StartupBlink on November 25
Ulsan Makes Its Debut in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index Rankings This Year

Ulsan, once known as the heart of the Korean economy and the traditional “industrial capital,” has achieved a remarkable transformation.

The city of Ulsan has been selected as the “Rising Startup Ecosystem Star in East Asia 2025” by StartupBlink, a global startup ecosystem evaluation agency.

StartupBlink annually evaluates the startup infrastructure, talent, investment, and innovation capabilities of more than 1,400 cities worldwide, announcing global startup ecosystem rankings.

This year, the agency will also select winning cities by region and continent, and will hold the “2025 StartupBlink Ecosystem Awards Ceremony” online at 6:00 p.m. (Korean time) on November 25, 2025.

At the ceremony, Ulsan will be honored as the “Rising Startup Ecosystem Star in East Asia 2025.”

Earlier in May, Ulsan entered StartupBlink’s “Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025” for the first time.

In South Korea, Ulsan entered the rankings for the first time this year at 546th place, recording the fourth highest ranking after Seoul, Daejeon, and Busan.

The rankings are as follows: Seoul 20th, Daejeon 366th, Busan 393rd, Ulsan 546th (new), and Daegu 691st.

This achievement signals international recognition of Ulsan’s local startup ecosystem and its growth potential. It is seen as an indicator of Ulsan’s transition from a traditional manufacturing-centered industrial city to one where startups and innovation coexist.

To vitalize the startup and innovation ecosystem, the city opened the new “Ulsan Startup Hub” in the first half of this year, establishing a foundation for startups. In addition, UNIST was designated as a “Deep Tech-Focused Startup University,” and the city established the “Regional Future Industry Transition Deep Tech Pioneer Venture Fund No. 1” with a scale of 12 billion won, laying the groundwork to strengthen innovation capabilities.

Furthermore, in July, Ulsan officially declared itself the “AI Capital of Ulsan” to promote a major transition from a traditional manufacturing industry base to an artificial intelligence (AI)-based industrial hub. Leveraging its abundant manufacturing data and the attraction of the SK-Amazon Web Services (SK-AWS) Artificial Intelligence Data Center (AIDC), the city has created a favorable environment for manufacturing innovation by attracting the “Manufacturing AI Center” and being selected for the “Region-Led AI Transformation Project.”

A city official stated, “Ulsan’s entry into the global startup ecosystem index and this award demonstrate that a new growth engine combining startups and innovation is taking root on the foundation of Ulsan’s manufacturing industry. We will continue to provide policy and industrial support to leap forward as a future-oriented startup city where the AI industry and startups converge.”

Other cities in South Korea newly entering the global startup ecosystem index this year include Jeju (852nd), Gangneung (887th), Pohang (903rd), and Cheongju (1048th), along with Ulsan.

Ulsan City Hall.

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