Startup Alliance Hosts Seminar on the Evolution Model of Korean and U.S. Startup Ecosystems

Structural Challenges for Korea's Startup Policy Highlighted Through Korea-U.S. Comparison

Startup Alliance announced on the 19th that it co-hosted the global seminar "From Foundation to University: The Evolution Model of the American Startup Ecosystem from Silicon Valley to Local Regions" at D.CAMP Mapo on the 18th.

This seminar was organized to analyze the formation of Silicon Valley and the spread of regional startup ecosystems in the United States from an institutional perspective, and to draw implications that can be applied to Korea's startup and innovation policies.

In the first keynote speech, Jungwook Lim, Co-CEO of Startup Alliance, stated, "The Korean startup ecosystem has recently shifted from a platform-centric model to a deep tech focus, including artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and bio," adding, "Going forward, it will be important to establish growth strategies based on global expansion and to strengthen an investment and exit ecosystem led by the private sector."

In the second keynote address, Ji Young Choi, Executive Director of the Korea Startup Forum, pointed out that there are areas for improvement in certain talent flows and the participation structure of university startup programs. She also emphasized the need for policy approaches that strengthen universities as core hubs of the startup ecosystem and expand early-stage funding and global connections.

On the 18th, a seminar jointly hosted by Startup Alliance is taking place at D.CAMP Mapo. Startup Alliance

In the subsequent presentation session, Kwangwook Kang, Professor at Salisbury University, explained, "The formation of Silicon Valley is the result of institutional accumulation involving government, universities, finance, and legal infrastructure," analyzing that, contrary to the 'garage startup myth,' innovation is built upon structural environments.

Michael Jensen, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Salisbury University, illustrated through the example of Salisbury, Maryland, that "universities function as key connectors in regional startup ecosystems, and regional startup infrastructure can be established through strategic partnerships and incremental expansion."

Dr. Seonghwan Cho, Co-founder of Nanoselect, introduced a structural support system to overcome the so-called 'Death Valley'—the gap between university research outcomes and the market—centered on the U.S. SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) program. He especially highlighted that the government's role as an 'early customer,' beyond simply providing initial funding, is crucial in the process of commercializing innovation.

Finally, during the panel discussion, Professor Kwangwook Kang served as moderator, comparing the startup ecosystems of Korea and the United States and leading a discussion on the roles of government and the market, the diversity of investors, and the social and cultural perceptions of entrepreneurship.

CEO Lim stated, "This seminar served as an opportunity to understand Silicon Valley not as a 'result' but as a 'structure,' and to examine the institutional design direction of Korea's startup ecosystem," adding, "In particular, it provided meaningful insights for building a region-based startup ecosystem and securing global competitiveness."

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