Developing the $200 Trillion Annual Public Procurement Market: Public-Private Partnership Essential

An innovative step for startups to enter the public procurement market took place at D.CAMP Seolleung. On the 27th, D.CAMP successfully hosted the 'Startup Public Procurement Open Innovation Event' in collaboration with the Public Procurement Service and the Korean Intellectual Property Office, aiming to enable excellent patent-based startups to enter the annual 200 trillion won public procurement market. This is the result of D.CAMP's ongoing efforts to substantially support the growth of startups, based on the MOUs signed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office in 2019 and the Public Procurement Service in 2024. In previously held events, participating startups have already achieved tangible results, with 80% successfully attracting investment. A total of six innovative startups, including Movawheel, Viewtizen, AI Sphera, Ecoin Energy, Clickar, and TR, were finally selected through recruitment since July and presented their technology pitches on this day. A judging panel comprising key officials from the Public Procurement Service and the Korean Intellectual Property Office, along with representatives from D.CAMP and venture capital firms, conducted a rigorous evaluation. As a result of the evaluation, Viewtizen, which develops high-performance PDLC films applicable to public buildings and infrastructure, was honored with the Public Procurement Service Administrator's Award, while Movawheel, which detects road hazards like black ice in real-time using sound-wave-based AI sensors, received the Korean Intellectual Property Office Commissioner's Award. The award-winning companies will receive a variety of follow-up support, including consideration for selection as D.CAMP batch companies, preferential treatment in KIPO support programs, and priority in PPS one-stop support services. In addition, AI Sphera presented an automated IT asset and vulnerability detection solution, Ecoin Energy showcased eco-friendly pyrolysis equipment for waste plastics, Clickar introduced an AI lightweighting and compiling solution, and TR demonstrated a precision respiratory disease screening device, proving each company's unique technology and market potential. Meanwhile, D.CAMP is currently recruiting for 'D.CAMP Batch 5' targeting startups in the IT service and solution sector, promising comprehensive support to selected companies, including opportunities to attract up to 1.5 billion won in investment, provision of office space for up to 18 months, expert mentoring, and domestic and international business networking.