South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT stated on April 21 it secured an extra 6 billion gained within the 2026 supplementary budget for the R&D Special Zone Promotion program and can totally pursue “5 hubs, 3 special R&D special zones deep-tech support.”
The program goals to contribute to regional financial restoration and livelihood stability at a time when the regional financial system is struggling due to the Middle East conflict. The 6 billion gained offered by the supplementary budget is to assist deep-tech start-ups and the secure progress of early-stage start-ups.
Under the start-up support monitor, public analysis establishments comparable to government-funded analysis institutes and universities will work with private-sector skilled teams by subject, together with funding and incubation, to determine deep-tech applied sciences with excessive commercialization potential. It will type about 40 potential start-up groups and focus support on the complete start-up course of, together with enterprise mannequin verification and establishing market entry methods.
Under the early-stage start-up progress support monitor, it’ll support expertise development for a complete of 16 deep-tech-based early-stage start-ups. Research establishments that maintain core deep-tech applied sciences will participate to support prototype manufacturing and efficiency enchancment, testing and certification, and commercialization.
Eun-young Lee (이은영), director basic for Research Results and Innovation on the ministry, stated the supplementary budget is predicted to support revitalization of expertise start-ups in deep tech and contribute to livelihood stability by job creation and revitalization of regional economies. She stated the ministry plans to additional strengthen expertise start-ups and support for regional innovation-driven progress by the R&D Special Zone Promotion program.