The Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy and Innovation announced key achievements for 2025 for its flagship open innovation brand, "Unicorn Bridge," on the 26th. The center supports startup growth and global expansion through strategic investment, technology verification, and matching meetup-type open innovation programs.
In 2025, through strategic investment-based open innovation, the company attracted new partners such as Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance and ITcen, executing a total strategic investment of KRW 2.57 billion. A total of KRW 800 million was invested in startups such as Ideas and Softent, promoting joint research and development and commercialization.
The number of one-on-one meetups between large and mid-sized companies and startups nearly doubled from 278 to 509 the previous year, leading to a total of 59 proof-of-concept (PoC) trials. Startups leveraged large companies' infrastructure to validate their technological capabilities, while large companies secured innovative solutions early on.
Global collaborations also achieved notable results. By connecting six global corporations, including Volvo and Lenovo, with 107 domestic startups in 2025, the company pioneered overseas markets. Four companies won CES 2026 Innovation Awards, participating startups saw a 27.3% year-over-year increase in sales, attracted a total of KRW 17.2 billion in indirect investment, and filed and registered over 150 intellectual property rights.
Unicorn Bridge has expanded its reach to include AI, construction, bio, robotics, and mobility, with numerous companies participating, including KT, Innox, Samhwa Paint, LG Electronics, and Kakao Mobility. The center plans to strengthen connections between startups and large and medium-sized enterprises and continuously expand the open innovation ecosystem.
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