DGIST, Korea Invention Promotion Association sign MOU to commercialize lab technologies

DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology) announced Sunday it signed an MOU with the Korea Invention Promotion Association to accelerate the transfer and commercialization of high-quality intellectual property.

The partnership is designed to translate promising technologies developed in research laboratories directly into industrial innovation where genuine demand exists. The two institutions plan to combine DGIST's research and development capabilities with the Korea Invention Promotion Association's nationwide corporate network and expertise in intellectual property transactions and valuation, maximizing the spread of public research outcomes into the private sector and improving commercialization efficiency.

Under the agreement, the two institutions will pursue sharing of high-quality intellectual property information and commercialization support, joint identification of companies suited for industry-academia collaboration and technology transfer, and cooperation on education and practical training in intellectual property rights and technology transfer.

"It is important to ensure that outstanding technologies and patents do not remain confined to the laboratory but instead create real value on the factory floor," said Kim Dong-hwan, DGIST vice president for research. "We will work closely with the Korea Invention Promotion Association to strengthen the technology commercialization foundation that connects DGIST's research outcomes to corporate innovation and growth."

Shin Gyeong-ho, director of the Korea Invention Promotion Association's Intellectual Property Exchange, said precisely matching the intellectual property of leading research institutions with the technology needs of industry is the key to successful technology transactions and commercialization. "We will actively leverage the Korea Invention Promotion Association's expertise and network to support DGIST's outstanding technologies in achieving tangible technology transfer and commercialization results," he added.

The two institutions plan to define specific areas of cooperation — including identifying promising intellectual property and connecting technologies with potential corporate partners — through working-level consultations. DGIST said it will continue to expand industry-academia-research collaboration, proactively seek out companies that need its research outcomes, and broaden the industrial application of its technologies to contribute to strengthening national industrial competitiveness.