Gangwon Province Selected for "Manufacturing-Focused Maker Space Project" Competition... 1.1 Billion Won Including National Funding Invested

The Gangwon Province Special Self-Governing Province announced that the Gangwon Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency has been selected for the “2026 Manufacturing-Focused Maker Space Project” hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

A panoramic view of the Gangwon Provincial Government Building. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Government.

With this selection, a total of approximately 1.1 billion won, including 650 million won in national funding, will be invested by the end of 2026. Full-scale support for manufacturing startups will be promoted through a maker space equipped with advanced equipment.

The “Manufacturing-Focused Maker Space” is a project designed to promote manufacturing startups through collaboration between existing maker spaces and organizations with manufacturing expertise. Thirteen locations across the country have been selected.

A “maker space” is a place where people with creative ideas can learn how to use 3D printers, laser cutters, and various digital fabrication machines, and turn their ideas into reality by sharing, collaborating, and integrating with others.

Until now, Gangwon Province has established and operated Gangwon Maker Space (Specialized Lab), equipping the space with 132 types of devices (including a full-body 3D scanner, metal 3D printer, metal laser cutter, and large-scale 3D printer). The province has supported the production of prototypes for early-stage startups (392 cases), the establishment of 28 new startups, and product commercialization (97 cases).

For this project, the Gangwon Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency will serve as the lead institution and provide support for manufacturing startup activities such as specialized training, prototype production, and initial mass production assistance. The agency also plans to strengthen networking among startup infrastructure.

Kim Gwangrae, Vice Governor for Economic Affairs of Gangwon Province Special Self-Governing Province, stated, “With this selection, a foundation has been established for anyone with creative ideas to take on the challenge of prototype production and mass manufacturing. This will serve as an important turning point in revitalizing local manufacturing startups and creating an innovative ecosystem.”

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