Mafra Invites Applications for "Regional Hub Food Clusters"... "Supporting Startups and Technology Development"

Call for Applications for the "Regional Food Cluster Development Project"

The government is set to fully launch the "Regional Food Cluster Development Project" to revitalize regional food industries and systematically support food startups and technology development.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 12th that it will promote a pilot project to establish a food convergence cluster in 2026 and will invite applications from metropolitan local governments nationwide.

Through this call for applications, the ministry plans to select two regions. Applications for the project can be submitted via the Digital Food Information Platform application website until March 13.

A regional hub food cluster is a cooperative system led by metropolitan local governments, in which food-related public institutions, research institutes, universities, and corporate support organizations participate together. Through this cluster, comprehensive support will be provided for the entire growth process of food companies, from food startup education, product planning and technology development, prototype production, and product commercialization to marketing and sales channel development, targeting local food companies and prospective entrepreneurs. It is characterized not as a simple support program, but as a support system that links industry, academia, research institutions, and government.

Until now, support for food companies has been centered on individual projects, which limited continuous assistance from startup to product launch. To address this issue, the ministry plans to expand nationwide, through regional hub clusters, the food company support capabilities of the National Food Cluster in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, including its facilities, equipment, and specialized personnel.

Starting with this pilot project, the ministry plans to gradually establish regional hub food clusters in nine regions nationwide by 2030. It also intends to link these regional hub clusters with the National Food Cluster in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, to complete a nationwide food convergence cluster system.

In addition, company support facilities and equipment, as well as various support programs established at the National Food Cluster in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, can be jointly utilized, which is expected to greatly help enhance the competitiveness of regional food companies.

Jeong Kyungseok, Director-General for Food Industry Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "We hope that spreading the excellent food company support capabilities of the National Food Cluster to regions across the country will serve as an opportunity to revitalize local food industries," adding, "We look forward to strong interest and many applications from regions with specialized local industries and diverse food industry resources."

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