Daedeok Special Zone launches open innovation program linking mid-sized firms with deep tech

The Daedeok Research and Development Special Zone headquarters of the Korea Research Institute of Science and Technology Promotion is recruiting participants for "Open Innovation Daedeok with DRB Holding," a program designed to connect DRB Holding's new-industry technology needs with innovative deep tech companies.

The program is demand-driven: DRB Holding presents the technology requirements it needs for its transition into new industries, and participating companies propose their own innovative technologies and solutions in response.

The Daedeok Special Zone headquarters has operated an open innovation program since 2020, linking the technology needs of large and mid-sized companies with firms based in the special zone. The effort has generated a range of follow-on collaborations, including the establishment of research-based companies that combine corporate commercialization infrastructure with public technology, as well as on-site demonstrations, joint R&D and investment linkages.

The program runs two tracks — domestic and global (Vietnam) — with about four companies to be selected through a screening process. The domestic track focuses on technologies suited for mid- to long-term joint R&D, covering mobility, secondary batteries, healthcare and automation systems. The global track targets solutions applicable to local infrastructure in Vietnam, focusing on AI and AX, and automation systems.

Selected companies will work with DRB Holding to develop concrete plans for follow-on collaboration, including joint technology development, business cooperation and proof-of-concept verification. Top performers among the selected companies will receive up to 10 million won ($7,200) per company in PoC funding, and direct investment reviews will be pursued based on commercialization potential. Move-in space at DBR Pioneer Base in Seoul is also available to selected companies. Those chosen for the global track will additionally receive opportunities to visit Vietnam and participate in local business meetups.

DRB Holding CEO Cho Hyun-min said the company would "broaden the foundation for cooperation so that deep tech companies can verify their technological potential in actual industrial settings and in Vietnam."

Lim Mun-taek, head of the Daedeok Special Zone headquarters, described the program as "a mutually beneficial cooperation model in which mid-sized companies find future growth engines through their transition to new industries, while innovative special zone companies with strong potential secure opportunities for demonstration and commercialization." He added that the program would "connect the on-site demands of companies with the innovative technologies of special zone firms to drive corporate growth and advance global technology commercialization outcomes."