• Providing a
  tangible/intangible infrastructure to support 17 specialized institutions and
  promising material suppliers including startups and SMEs

• Inaugurated in 2018 to provide commercialization support
  to 41 beneficiaries··· increasing their revenue and jobs two-fold, and
  investment inflow 15 times

• Outdoor gear
  brand BYN Blackyak joined the program this year ··· supporting
  commercialization idea leveraging knowhow from consumer goods

   

SKC (President: Woncheol Park) kicks the open competition for new
industrial materials, SKC Startup Plus season 5, into high gear after selecting
entrants to the competition. The SKC Startup Plus greeting the 5th anniversary
is a program in which companies with promising technologies are selected and
multiple specialized institutions are invited to provide tangible/intangible support
to their commercialization initiatives on an open platform _ base_d on new
material technologies (the ‘Open Platform’ hereinafter).

Holding the SKC Startup Plus Season 5 Award
Ceremony in its head office located in Jongro-gu, Seoul on the 14^th,
SKC started up the startup support and promotion program, delivering 100
million won in commercialization grants. The award ceremony was attended by
representatives of the named entrants, and specialized institutions that joined
the open platform, including Woolsan Creative Economy Innovation Center, Shin
& Kim LLC., Deloitte Anjin LLC., the R&D Strategy Planning Division at
the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Korea Institute of Science
& Technology Information, Woolsan Techno Park, and BYN Blackyak.

Five
entrants were named in this year’s SKC Startup Plus, including rechargeable batteries,
semiconductors and other eco-friendly industrial material solution providers such
as Cuprum Materials supplying next-generation 5G 28GHz communications substrate
materials; Killington Materials having energy-efficient production technology
for next-generation anode materials for rechargeable batteries; TerraBlock
manufacturing highly pure raw materials recycled from depolymerized plastic wastes;
and Chem R Tech developing non-phosphorus etching material for 3D NAND flash. In
addition to them, 119 Reo upcycling fire suit wastes were also selected for the
first time among social enterprises waiting to be officially recognized.

These business enterprises are en_ title_d to access
tangible/intangible infrastructure provided by 17 specialized institutions
participating in the open platform. SKC
will offer grants supporting their commercialization programs, and sharing R&D
and management knowhow with them. In particular, SKC will expand the scope of
their growth promotion program this year, supporting their promotional pitches,
consulting and funding their efforts to win environmental certifications or
emerging technology accreditations.

Woolsan Creative Economy Innovation Center will
train the named entrants on corporate operation and follow-through programs
whereas the Korea Institute of Science & Technology Information will advise
them on commercialization ideas and upgrading their research/planning
capabilities. The R&D Strategy Planning Division at the Ministry of Trade,
Industry and Energy will be responsible for providing policy training and
overhauling the regulatory _ frame_work and Deloitte Anjin will provide accounting
advice and help the named entrants network with global institutional investors.
Global outdoor gear brand BYN Blackyak joining the open platform for the first
time this year will share its knowhow as a consumer goods brand to support the
eco-friendly material commercialization programs of the named entrants.

SKC implemented the open platform with Woolsan Creative
Economy Innovation Center in 2017 and held the SKC Startup Plus’ open annual competition
since 2018 to identify promising business enterprises. The scope of eligible
enterprises was expanded from startups to include local communities and small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with specialized institutions
participating in the open platform now increased to 17.

In partnership with these specialized institutions, SKC
supported the commercialization programs of 41 business enterprises until last
year. Some of the named enterprises are rapidly producing outcomes, attracting
investment and being named for the TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startup)
program organized by the Ministry of SMEs & Startups. CEO Lee Cheol-won at Chemifolio named in Startup Plus
Season 4 said, “Thanks to the technology partnership with SKC, we developed an
eco-friendly polyol material and leveraged it to attract 2 billion won in
investment,” and added, “We are making steps to enter the global market,
winning global bio material certifications.”

An official at SKC stated, “Celebrating the 5^th
anniversary, the SKC Startup Plus program is expanding its coverage to enhance
commercialization support packages in collaboration with an eco-friendly
consumer goods brand and including social enterprises in the list of eligible
enterprises,” and added, “We will do our best to position the Startup Plus as an
iconic program in Korea facilitating the commercialization projects of
promising materials companies and contribute to fostering the ecosystem of the materials
industry.” [End]

[Enterprises named in the SKC Startup Plus Season 5]

[Institutions participating in the open platform for fostering new
material technology]

[Photo]