Daejeon Startup Ecosystem: 10 Questions for Future Growth Solutions

Startup Alliance and Daejeon Creative Economy Innovation Center have jointly published the 'Green Paper', a significant milestone for the sustainable future of Daejeon's startup ecosystem, opening a new chapter in regional innovation discussions. This Green Paper is not merely an analysis of the current situation. As a starting point for gathering the voices of diverse stakeholders and facilitating in-depth discussions before policy decisions, it meticulously dissects Daejeon's startup environment and poses 10 key questions that will serve as clues for future development. This Green Paper is an extension of the report 'Startups, the Future of Regions? Startups and Regions Ask Each Other' published by the Startup Alliance last February, illuminating Daejeon, a city with complex identities such as the 'City of Science', 'No-Jam City' (meaning 'boring city' in slang), and 'City of Sungsimdang' (a famous bakery), from multiple perspectives, an attempt to capture the inherent strengths and challenges of its startup ecosystem. Key local figures, including Kim Pan-geon, CEO of Future Science and Technology Holdings, and Park Dae-hee, Director of Daejeon Creative Economy Innovation Center, as well as external experts like Jeon Jeong-hwan, Vice President of Krypton, Choi Do-in, Head of Meta Planning Consulting, and Han Jong-ho, Partner at SoPoong Ventures, put their heads together, and refined these ten questions through four rounds of roundtables and the 'Regional Startup Ecosystem Summit'. These questions cover significant topics that shake the foundation of regional growth, ranging from the future vision of Daejeon we dream of, to how to make Daejeon an attractive city where global talents can choose to immerse themselves in 'research and entrepreneurship', and what the optimal investment ecosystem model is that leverages Daejeon's unique characteristics. Park Jeong-eun, Director of Startup Alliance, stated, "The 10 questions in the Green Paper are topics that local ecosystem members have deliberated on for a long time and sought solutions for," adding, "It holds great significance in that it has laid the groundwork for priority discussions for a better Daejeon ecosystem." Director Park further emphasized, "The true competitor for a regional ecosystem is not the Seoul metropolitan area, but for each region to foster its self-reliance and build its own independent foundation for growth," expressing hope that this Green Paper will serve as a catalyst to inspire not only Daejeon but also other regional ecosystems in Korea. This document will be a valuable compass offering in-depth reflection and future directions for Daejeon's startup innovation.