On the 7th, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that it held a 'Startup On-Site Dialogue' with startup companies in the climate tech sector at Super Bin in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, and presented the 'Climate Tech Innovation Startup Level-Up Strategy.'
The on-site dialogue included corporations in the climate tech sector such as Super Bin, a circular resource recovery robot manufacturer; WiPowerOne (wireless charging); BNG Partners (green finance support); Netspa (recycled nylon); PiQuant (air and water quality analysis); and Marine Innovation (bio products from seaweed) along with various experts.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will actively carry out the 'Climate Tech Innovation Startup Level-Up Strategy' under the vision of 'realizing carbon neutrality and sustainable economic growth led by startups.'
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will prioritize fostering technology tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises while supporting commercialization in 'market-leading sectors' where demand is high. They will focus on climate tech commercialization and support the 'fair innovation and resource recycling' sectors for exporting small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as provide up to 600 million won in funding for technology validation and promote the convergence of advanced AI technologies.
Additionally, the ministry will support joint commercialization and scaling up with large corporations that have a high interest in the climate sector, such as SK Innovation and POSCO, and help outstanding corporations enter the procurement market through the K-Testbed operated by the Korea Water Resources Corporation.
They will also provide liquidity through specialized TIPS operations that have expertise in the climate tech sector. Practical investment linkages will be supported through regular networking and IR sessions among venture capital firms and startups that have invested in or wish to invest in super-gap startups such as climate tech.
They will also support securing networks for global expansion in stages. Through public-private collaboration, they will provide consulting and key fund and subsidy information, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the 'Breakthrough Energy Ventures' fund established to invest in climate technologies.
Considering the local industrial environment and capabilities comprehensively, they will also newly establish five regulatory-free special zones for Clean Tech, Carbon Tech, Climate Tech, Food Tech, and Geo Tech.
Oh Youngju, the Minister of SMEs and Startups, noted, 'We will support the growth of innovative climate tech startups to secure competitiveness in the global market.'