Moonjong Choi, Former Head of Daegu Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, Appointed Co-CEO of DGIST Technology Holdings

DGIST (President Lee Kunwoo) announced that DGIST Technology Holdings Co., Ltd. has appointed Moonjong Choi, former Head of Daegu Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, as the new Co-CEO. This move is expected to provide a significant boost to revitalizing the local startup ecosystem.

Established at the end of 2022, DGIST Technology Holdings was founded to overcome the limitations of the university’s traditional, one-off technology transfers and to continuously support the full lifecycle growth of companies. The company aims to implement a ‘virtuous cycle model of industry-academia cooperation,’ where profits generated from commercializing outstanding university research are reinvested into research and development (R&D). In particular, it has focused on identifying and investing in very early-stage and early-stage ventures and research labs.

The inauguration ceremony of Moonjong Choi, CEO of DGIST Technology Holdings, is underway.

The newly appointed Co-CEO, Moonjong Choi, is a ‘technology business expert’ who has laid the groundwork for the local startup ecosystem, having served as a professor at Sunmoon University and as Head of the Daegu Center for Creative Economy and Innovation. Recognized for his contributions to supporting venture businesses in the field, he received a commendation from the Minister of SMEs and Startups in 2021. He has also demonstrated strong academic expertise through works such as “Understanding Technology Startups” (2022). With extensive practical experience and a robust public-private network, he is considered the ideal candidate to lead the expansion of DGIST Technology Holdings.

With this appointment, DGIST Technology Holdings will shift from a sole CEO system led by Jae-hyung Koo (Director of DGIST Office of University-Industry Cooperation) to a co-CEO structure. Jae-hyung Koo, who is well-versed in internal affairs, will focus on technology discovery and strategic stability, while field expert Moonjong Choi will be responsible for investment attraction and external networking. The company expects this complementary partnership to generate strong synergy.

Newly appointed Co-CEO Moonjong Choi stated, “I will faithfully serve as a bridge to ensure that DGIST’s world-class deep-tech assets can make an impact in the market beyond the laboratory,” adding, “Going forward, I will take a leading role in actively establishing investment funds and revitalizing the startup ecosystem in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region.”

President Lee Kunwoo of DGIST also remarked, “With the addition of CEO Moonjong Choi, DGIST Technology Holdings has gained a powerful driving force to connect innovative technologies from the research field to industry,” and added, “We will fully support CEO Choi’s endeavors so that we can revitalize the regional economy and foster portfolio companies with global competitiveness.”

Looking ahead, DGIST Technology Holdings plans to pursue a comprehensive range of initiatives, including aggressive formation and management of investment funds, accelerating the establishment of promising technology-based portfolio companies, and strengthening customized acceleration programs.

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