277 Science and Engineering Youth Teams Take Laboratory Technologies to Market... Full-Scale Validation of Deep Tech Startups

A total of 277 science and engineering youth pre-startup teams, discovered from universities and government-funded research institutes nationwide, will bring laboratory technologies to the market for validation. In order to accelerate the commercialization of research outcomes, the government has officially launched the "Deep Tech Startup Practical Program."

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it has selected 277 laboratory startup exploration teams for the "Public Technology-Based Market-Linked Startup Exploration Support Project (TechXcore)" for 2026, and will hold a launching ceremony on April 30.

Reference photo to aid understanding of the article. The 'Superstart Day 2026' event held on the 22nd at Magok LG Science Park. This event is for discovering and nurturing startups. Provided by Yonhap News Agency.

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TechXcore is a flagship program that connects university and government-funded research outcomes to startups. It is characterized by a design that allows researchers to directly meet potential customers to verify the marketability of their technologies. The emphasis is on determining on-site whether the technology is "sellable," going beyond simple technology development.

The selected teams will undergo basic entrepreneurship education and create pre-prototypes (simple prototypes), after which they will conduct customer interviews both in Korea and abroad. Items that are confirmed to be commercially viable will receive follow-up startup incubation support, such as prototype production and mentoring.

This year, the program will be operated around 14 Laboratory Startup Innovation Groups nationwide. Based on hubs in regions such as the Seoul Metropolitan Area, Chungcheong, Yeongnam, and Honam, a large number of graduate students and researchers from government-funded institutes will participate.

Laboratory Startup Innovation Group Distribution Map. Provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT

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In particular, a "Unified Regional Lead Innovation Group" system has been introduced, centered on institutions such as Sungkyunkwan University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), to strengthen resource linkage and know-how sharing across regions. Through this, the government aims to establish a nationwide deep tech startup support network.

The launching ceremony will be held at COEX Magok in Seoul, and there will be programs where senior entrepreneurs share actual startup experiences. The focus is on "field-based education" to spread a researcher-centered startup culture.

Gu Hyukchae, the First Vice Minister of Science and ICT, said, "TechXcore is the starting point for research outcomes to lead to startups," adding, "We will support the spread of bold entrepreneurship among science and engineering youth based on a nationwide support network."

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