The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Han Sung-sook, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of SMEs and Startups) announced that it held the 2025 Public-Private Partnership Open Innovation Achievement Sharing Meeting at the WDC in Seoul on the 16th, with approximately 200 people in attendance, including First Vice Minister Noh Yong-seok and representatives from participating companies, and that it selected and awarded excellent startups and collaborating large corporations in the final round of the integrated competition.
This year, among the 120 companies that participated in the public-private partnership open innovation support project, nine startups, including Amber Road, were awarded the Minister of SMEs and Startups Award and prize money for their outstanding achievements in new product and service development and field application.
AI startup Amber Road collaborated with EcoPro to develop an AI-based secondary battery manufacturing process optimization project. The result was a process efficiency solution expected to generate approximately KRW 5.5 billion in annual financial benefits during the demonstration process. The solution is also being considered for expansion to additional processes within the EcoPro Group.
Food startup F&L Corporation collaborated with CJ ENM to develop a high-protein, low-carbohydrate shake and leveraged CJ ENM's marketing and sales infrastructure to pioneer new markets. Through this process, the company attracted a direct investment of 3 billion won from CJ ENM and plans to expand into the global market in the future.
Pobicon, which possesses vision AI technology, jointly developed an AI-based construction estimation efficiency platform with Woomi Construction. Additionally, Nonghyup Bank and SwitchOne have developed an AI exchange rate prediction algorithm, while Korea Water Resources Corporation and Geost have achieved collaborative results through the establishment of an AIoT-based ground stability monitoring system.
In addition to prize money and listings, winning startups will receive incentives for participation in the Next Unicorn Project Scale-up Fund investment pool and follow-up market verification support projects for open innovation.
First Vice Minister of SMEs and Startups Noh Yong-seok emphasized that open innovation is a key strategy for improving corporate productivity, entering new markets, and improving the efficiency of technological development, and announced that he would expand the innovation capabilities of companies across the board through collaboration with ventures and startups.
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