The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) and KAIST jointly hosted the 2nd SME Innovation Network Forum at Glad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, on Jan. 26.
Experts from industry, academia and research circles discussed SMEs’ innovation strategies to cope with the future by dividing themselves into five subcommittees to discuss five respective themes, including carbon neutrality and digital transformation, since the forum was inaugurated last July.
The latest forum was an opportunity to share the outcomes of the discussions by the five subcommittees.
In his keynote speech, CEO Ryu Jung-hee of FuturePlay touched on his experiences in exploring and nurturing Olaworks, a tech startup which was acquired by Intel, and operating FuturePlay.
He suggested that a key strategy about the successful commercialization of tech companies is “finding a good question at an early state and mobilizing a maximum of resources into it.”
The forum took time to share policies on future strategies to support SMEs. President Lee Jae-hong of Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency (TIPA) announced plans to restructure the SME technology roadmap between 2022 and 2024, calling for expanding promising future technologies such as carbon neutrality and digital transformation, and items for strategically investing in the development of SME technologies, and how to connect projects to support technology commercialization.
Director Yoon Se-young, in charge of technology policy at MSS, shared how to restructure a mid- and long-term R&D plan in keeping with SMEs’ growth strategies by considering the diagnosis of the conventional R&D business structure.
Lee Jung-won, a senior researcher with Science & Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), discussed policies of supporting SMEs’ creating new opportunities by analyzing carbon neutrality’s impact on SMEs and crisis factors and effectively coping with them.
Prof. Suh Jong-hyun of Korea Polytechnic University (KPU), sitting on the fifth subcommittee, suggested ways of strengthening expertise and transparency in the course of designating and supporting excellent R&D tasks.
Civilian experts, investors and heads of industry, academia and research circles exchanged diverse views on a session of gathering opinions and discussions.
Among those on hand at the forum were Eoflow CEO Kim Jae-jin, representing the tech scale-up business, President Kim Ji-won of ReDWit, a Startup that develops a Blockchain-based Digital Research Service, CEO Kim Kyung-hak of KevinLAB in the carbon neutrality sector and Softbank Ventures Asia CEO Lee Joon-pyo, and LB Investment President Park Ki-ho.
Minister Kwon Chil-seung of the Ministry of SMES and Startups (MSS) and KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung pose with other participants of the 2nd SME Innovation Network Forum. (Photos: MSS)
KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung said, “Venture startups, armed with creative ideas and pioneering spirit, are leading the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, and we will offer full support on global viewpoints and experiences so that SME venture companies can go for the world by bravely challenging with greater dreams.”
MSS Minister Kwon Chil-seung said, “SME venture companies has established themselves as an innovative driving force by translating a crisis into an opportunity by braving challenging with innovative ideas.”
MSS will work out future strategies from a demand perspective, and continue to overhaul them by joining forces with SME venture companies, market investors and experts from industry, academia and research circles in the future as they did at today’s forum, Kwon added.
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