「Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS 3rd Anniversary Forum」

- Launch of Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS Development Council and share achievements and development plans -

 

□ Korea Innovation Foundation held the Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS 3rd Anniversary Forum ('Forum') on August 18 (Thursday) at the National Assembly Hall to commemorate the 3rd anniversary of the Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS and launched the Small Hidden Champion Development Council. INNOPOLIS's achievements and opinions on future development were shared.

○ Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS is a small-scale INNOPOLIS model at the local government level that promotes commercialization and start-ups based on public technology centered on core technology institutions such as universities, research institutes, and public institutions enterprises located in the region. Companies designated as Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS are accompanied by administrative and financial support such as budget, tax benefits, and special regulatory exceptions.

○ The Ministry of Science and ICT has designated 14 sites as Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS in 2019, 2020, and 2022, reflecting the region's willingness to innovate and the government's will for balanced national development.

* (Designated in 2019) Gyeongnam Changwon, Gyeongnam Jinju, Gyeongnam Gimhae, Gyeonggi Ansan, Gyeongbuk Pohang, Chungbuk Cheongju

(Designated in 2020) Gumi in Gyeongbuk, Hongneung in Seoul, Ulju in Ulsan, Naju in Jeollanam-do, Gunsan in Jeollabuk-do, Cheonan/Asan in Chungcheongnam-do

(Designated in 2022) Incheon Songdo, Gangwon Chuncheon

□ At the commemorative forum attended by about 100 people, including member of National Assembly, Kim Young-sik, the Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS Development Council (Chairman: Chi-ho Choi, Head of Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS, Hongneung), a voluntary consultative body among 14 Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS project groups nationwide, was held. Speaker presentations and panel discussions on the achievements and development plan of Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS were followed.

 

○ At the inauguration ceremony of the Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS Development Council, the heads of 14 Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS project groups, including the President of the Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS, said, “Through the Development Council, they shared the achievements, limitations and experiences of the Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS. We will make every effort to make it a representative innovation cluster in each region.”

○ Dr. Hong Jinki of the Industrial Research Institute gave a keynote speech under the theme of 'The present and future of the Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS system'. Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS, KIST General Manager Choi Jiho gave presentations on the 3rd and 2nd anniversary achievements of Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS, respectively, and the vision of Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS, followed by a panel discussion with experts.

□ Kim Young-sik, Rep.,, who hosted this forum, said, “Starting with the designation of Gimhae, Jinju, Changwon, Pohang, Ansan, and Cheongju in August 2019, Hongneung, Cheonan Asan, and my local districts Gumi, Gunsan, Naju, Ulju, and this year in 2020. A total of 14 regions, including Seo-gu, Incheon and Chuncheon, have been designated as Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS, playing a major role in revitalizing the local economy by creating jobs and attracting investment.”

○ In particular, Kim Young-sik, Rep., emphasized, “For the future development of Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS, it is necessary to secure a more stable mid- to long-term budget. I hope to secure the budget and develop Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS as an institutional tool for balanced regional development.”

□ Director Kwon Seok-Min of the Ministry of Science and Technology gave a congratulatory speech, encouraging the Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS's past achievements and emphasizing the role of future innovation actors in the region.

○ Director Kwon Seok-min said, “Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS, which celebrated its 3rd anniversary as of 2019, has created outcomes such as 396 public technology transfers, 240 start-ups, 145.2 billion won in investment, and 1,083 jobs created by the local community. It is an early stage in achieving the goal of building a self-sustaining innovation cluster, such as leading change and innovations,

○ “I ask that all innovators of Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS, including the Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS Development Council, launched today for the self-development of Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS, join forces.”

□ Kang Byung-Sam, President of the Korea Innovation Foundation, which oversees the Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS fostering project, said, “Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS is an essential means for creating an innovative ecosystem that creates added value through commercialization of public technology and entrepreneurship by linking local innovative resources. We will continue to strive to establish a virtuous cycle system for regional development centered on Small Hidden Champion INNOPOLIS.”