Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Confirms 12 Innovative Startups for 'EMA-MARINE' Project

MYSC successfully held the orientation for the '2025 Marine & Fisheries Accelerator Program (EMA-MARINE)' on the 27th, signaling the start of fostering innovative startups in the marine and fisheries sector. Hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, organized by the Korea Institute of Marine Science & Technology Promotion (KIMST), and operated by MYSC, this program aims to discover and foster promising young early-stage startups and preliminary entrepreneurs. The 12 finally selected companies include 10 innovative startups such as Underwater Solution, JURK, Haedam, ROBIGOS, SIM2REAL, CONCHAU ECO, Bucketlist Class, OSLO, VF SPACE, and Blue Carbon, along with preliminary entrepreneurs Kim Hye-sung and Kim Sun-beom. Approximately 20 people, including officials from the organizing and operating institutions and representatives and working-level staff from the selected companies, attended the orientation that day, engaging in a lively networking session that included a program introduction and interactions among participating companies. Over the next six months, focusing on eco-friendly and advanced vessels, and smart blue food sectors, the program plans to intensively foster 'New Normal Players' who create social impact based on marine and fisheries technologies. Impact investment accelerator MYSC will provide comprehensive growth support to participating companies, including funding and investment linkages, as well as global expansion and impact creation. Particularly, excellent companies will be given opportunities for direct investment and follow-up investment, and TIPS/LIPS recommendations will be actively considered. This year, global expansion support is significantly enhanced, including English IR consulting, overseas business meetups through exploration trips to Southeast Asia and East Asia, and connections with local VCs. Furthermore, an open innovation module for B2B and B2G market development will help generate tangible business results. Han Hyung-kyu, Team Leader at MYSC, emphasized, "Technologically capable marine and fisheries startups are key players in creating social and environmental impact. We will continue to support and collaborate for their sustained growth and innovation."