Chungnam Creative Economy Center, SK ecoplant Jointly Discover Innovative Startups

Chungnam Center for Creative Economy & Innovation and SK ecoplant Accelerate Cooperation to Discover Innovative Startups in Semiconductor and Eco-friendly Fields! Opportunity for up to 100 Million KRW in Support Opens. We are looking for innovative startups that will lead the future of Korea's semiconductor industry! The Chungnam Center for Creative Economy & Innovation (hereinafter CNCEI) is joining hands with SK ecoplant, a leader in the construction and eco-friendly energy sectors, to embark on discovering promising companies through the '2025 Public-Private Cooperation Open Innovation Support Program'. The recruitment of participating companies will officially begin in March, and it is expected to inject new vitality into Korea's semiconductor and eco-friendly technology ecosystem. This program will be promoted with the strong support of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development (KISED), aiming to maximize synergy between startups with innovative ideas and large corporations. CNCEI stated, "Through strategic cooperation with SK ecoplant, we will discover startups possessing unique technological capabilities and actively support the entire process leading to actual commercialization, thereby helping them successfully establish themselves and grow in the market." In particular, this program focuses on two core areas: 'semiconductors' and 'eco-friendliness'. Selected startups will receive exceptional benefits. In addition to commercialization funding of up to 100 million KRW, they can enhance technology verification and market entry potential through in-depth joint research and development opportunities with SK ecoplant. Furthermore, they can receive significant assistance in business expansion and capability strengthening through linkage with various self-support programs provided by CNCEI. The operating model is 'Self-Proposal - Cluster-Linked,' aiming for startups to freely propose innovative ideas and develop them into practical business models by linking with regional industrial clusters. This reflects a commitment to respecting startup autonomy while also generating even stronger synergy through a regionally-based collaborative network. A CNCEI official commented on this cooperation, saying, "It is a golden opportunity for startups with excellent technological capabilities to grow with a giant partner like SK ecoplant." He emphasized, "Through this, we expect to elevate the technological competitiveness of the domestic semiconductor industry by a notch and enable it to stand out in the global market." SK ecoplant also stated their ambition: "Through this open innovation, we will integrate the ingenious ideas and latest technologies of promising startups into our business to drive innovation," adding, "We will build a win-win cooperation model and secure new momentum for sustainable growth." An opportunity for technology and ideas to become reality, challenge yourself right now.