"Bridging the Gap Between Metropolitan and Non-Metropolitan Areas"... Ministry of SMEs and Startups to Host Regional Startup Festival

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on April 27 that it will host the 2026 'Regional Startup Festival' to bridge the gap in startup environments between the Seoul metropolitan area and non-metropolitan regions and to foster a self-sustaining regional startup ecosystem.

No Yongseok, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, is delivering a greeting speech at a meeting held on the 24th at the Natural Sciences Campus of Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Ministry of SMEs and Startups

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The Regional Startup Festival is an event where key players driving innovation in regional startup ecosystems-including startups, investors, and startup support organizations-participate. This year, a total of 14 sessions (10 at the regional level and 4 at the zonal level) will be held in non-metropolitan areas.

Additionally, the ministry plans to hold zonal festivals centered around regional hubs, and at the end of the year, a nationwide integrated event will be organized to share the achievements of the regional festivals throughout the year.

This year's festival is hosted by the Creative Economy Innovation Center, a regional startup hub, and is divided into common sessions (investment, open innovation, networking) and specialized sessions (startup competitions, second-chance opportunities, business consultations, and exhibitions). The organizational structure has been strengthened, and a unified brand identity (BI) titled 'Everyone's Startup Festival in [Region]' has been introduced to enhance the event's identity and consistency.

The first event, 'Everyone's Startup Festival in Chungbuk, OLSS Summit 2026,' will be held in Osong, Chungbuk, and is a bio sector-focused event involving bio startups, investors, and domestic and international partner organizations. In conjunction with 'Bio Korea 2026,' it is expected to provide expanded global collaboration opportunities for bio startups in Chungbuk.

The 'Everyone's Startup Festival in Gyeongnam, GSAT 2026,' will take place in Changwon, Gyeongnam, from April 29 to April 30. This flagship startup festival of Gyeongnam Province has been held annually since 2024 and celebrates its third anniversary this year. This year, the festival features 'Physical Artificial Intelligence (AI)' as its core theme, enabling everyone to experience future technological changes and the excitement of innovation.

Since the launch of the government's Everyone's Startup Project platform on March 26, an average of 400 people have submitted their ideas daily, and as of April 19, just 25 days after launch, the number of applicants surpassed 10,000. Sessions linked to the Everyone's Startup initiative will also be offered at the Chungbuk and Gyeongnam regional startup festivals.

Cho Kyungwon, Director of Startup Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, "By combining Everyone's Startup and the Regional Startup Festival, we will provide new opportunities for innovation to non-metropolitan entrepreneurs. We will continue to offer systematic support so that promising regional startup founders can enjoy a startup ecosystem comparable to that of the Seoul metropolitan area."

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