• Open to applications starting from the 11th,
  winners to be announced on June 2nd··· 39 promising tech startups developing new materials recruited and
  nurtured for the past four years

• Arranging subsequent partnership with green
  material tech companies and sponsoring institutions··· spurring revitalization of
  cutting-edge material industry ecosystem

   

SKC (CEO & President: Woncheol Park) is recruiting entrants
to the 5th round of its cutting-edge material technology competition SKC
Startup Plus. Marking its 5th anniversary this year, SKC Startup Plus is a
program to identify promising tech startups and help them commercialize their
offerings with tangible/intangible assets available on an open platform for new
material technologies used by other leading corporations and institutions of
relevant industrial sectors.

SKC is looking for
applications to enter the 5tg SKC Startup Plus starting on the 11th. Eligible
entrants will encompass to-be entrepreneurs, startups and small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that possess creative ideas or technologies
relevant to highly-functional or value-added industrial materials such as green
technology, semiconductor, and artificial intelligence (AI). Anyone interested
is invited to visit the website of Woolsan Creative Economy Innovation Center
and the New Material Open Platform notice and submit an application on the
U-Star website (https://ustar.or.kr) by May
12th.

Around five teams will be selected in the final stage and
announced on June 2nd after _ eval_uating the _ document_ation and presentation. The
winners will be eligible for commercialization aid packages including KRW 100
million in project grants and exclusive corporate incubation programs. The winners
selected in the 5th SKC Startup Plus will be en_ title_d to PR packages covering
promotional video clip production as well as industrial certification
consulting services and expenses for green labeling scheme or new technology
certification.

SKC identified 39 startups from 2018 to last year. Marine
Innovation (1st round), startup developed a new green material to replace
plastic, being selected for the TIPS program and has been collaborating
actively with other Korean and global enterprises. In addition, Arun (2nd
round) that developed a waste water treatment filter leveraging a ultrafine
semiconductor foundry process and Nopion developing new materials for display
production processes (1^st round) were qualified for the Sobujang (Material,
Part, & Equipment) 100’ and the TIPS programs.

The
lineup of mentoring institutions participating in the new material technology
open platform will be further augmented. Partnership programs with business
organizations taking initiative in building an eco-friendly material ecosystem
and professional agencies specialized in green technologies are in the making.

Furthermore,
SKC shares its 40-year-long corporate prowess in cutting-edge material business
covering grants for technology commercialization and management know-how,
R&D infrastructure, etc. In addition, the National Academic of Engineering
of Korea (NAEK) (management and operational advisory service), the Korea
Technology Finance Corporation (technology matching), Deloitte Korea (ESG
strategy support), the Korea Startup Forum (startup incubation), Shin & Kim
LLC. (legal counsel), the Woolsan Creative Economy Innovation Center (training
and follow-up project), the Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Innovation (commercialization support) and Shinhan Bank (financing support) are
extending assistance in their respective area of expertise.

An official at SKC said, “We will expand the range of
institutions engaging the new material technology open platform and support
programs by referring to our 4-year-long experience in the operation of the competition
to extend greater support to cutting-edge material startups on an evolutionary
track towards promising enterprises,” and added, “In doing so, we will do our
best in fostering the development of the material industry ecosystem in Korea.”
[End]

[New material technology open competition
poster]