2,132 public technologies on offer as agencies seek to bridge R&D and commercialization
A cross-ministry forum aimed at connecting publicly developed technologies with private-sector buyers and commercialization partners opened Monday.
The Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) is co-hosting the "2026 Cross-Ministry Public Technology Transfer and Commercialization Roadshow" with 10 other government agencies — including the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy — at the Science and Technology Convention Center.
The event was organized to link high-quality public technologies generated through government research and development investment with industry demand, creating a venue where technology suppliers and prospective corporate adopters can meet and explore transfer and commercialization opportunities.
This year's roadshow brings together 11 ministries and agencies: KIPO, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the Rural Development Administration and the Korea Forest Service. Eleven institutions are jointly organizing the event, including the Korea Intellectual Property Strategy Agency, the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement and the Korea Institute of Marine Science and Technology Promotion. About 500 researchers and technology transfer and commercialization officials are expected to attend.
The roadshow features 2,132 promising public technologies. Activities include one-on-one technology consulting sessions between suppliers and potential adopters, as well as a joint briefing on commercialization support programs run by participating ministries. The briefing will consolidate information on programs operated by KIPO, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Rural Development Administration and other participating agencies, giving attendees a single point of access to resources needed for public technology transfer and commercialization.
The event will also include signing ceremonies for three technology transfer agreements reached through the 2024 and 2025 roadshows.
Separately, 12 institutions will be recognized as "outstanding IP management organizations" based on a comprehensive assessment of the commercialization capabilities of university and public research institute technology licensing offices (TLOs) overseen by KIPO during 2025. The honorees are Catholic Kwandong University, Kwangwoon University, Sookmyung Women's University, Soongsil University, Ajou University, Ulsan Institute of Science and Technology, Jeju National University, Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL), Korea Institute of Materials Science, Korea Institute of Electronics Technology, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS).
The recognized institutions will receive intellectual property points for up to three years — equivalent to 40 percent of the previous year's patent filing and examination fees, plus 20 percent of registration fees paid in years four through nine — providing meaningful cost relief for IP creation and management activities and helping sustain TLO innovation efforts.
"It is important that excellent public technologies do not remain confined to laboratories but are transformed into assets that can be traded in the market," KIPO Commissioner Kim Yong-seon said. "We will pursue effective IP policies and wide-ranging projects to ensure that national R&D outcomes serve as a new engine of innovative growth — by generating high-quality patents that match market demand, facilitating private-sector transfer and commercialization, and ultimately supporting entry into global markets."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
