Minister of Knowledge Economy Choi Joong-kyung, left, holds a plaque showing the list of 10 software prodigies together with a recipient of the honor at a ceremony of designating them held at the Renaissance Seoul Hotel, Tuesday.
/ Courtesy of Ministry of Knowledge Economy |
10 `Steve Jobs’ hopefuls picked
By Kim Tae-gyu
The government has chosen 10 software prodigies who it expects could eventually become industry leaders comparable to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
The Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) said Tuesday that it had chosen the 10 university students, dubbed software maestros, through a strict screening process that took more than a year.
“We went through 100 candidates over the past 14 months to decide the 10 finalists, who were outstanding in all the areas across the board,” an MKE official said.
“Including 50 million won in prizes, each of them will be able to get up to 300 million won ($266,000) in support necessary to start venture start-ups of their own.”
More than 350 applied for the program last year to become 100 hopefuls who were shortlisted before the 10 winners were picked.
Another group of 100 are currently competing to become the second selected software maestros.
Economy Minister Choi Joong-kyung stressed that the “maestro system” would help Asia’s No. 4 economy duplicate its hitherto success in hardware in software.
“As far as hardware is concerned, Korea hit success as demonstrated in such segments as shipbuilding, automobiles and machinery. In parts industries, we chalk up an annual trade surplus of $80 billion,” Choi said in his congratulatory message during the ceremony celebrating the 10 winners.
“If we can become a powerhouse in software, Korea can evolve into the top economy of the world... I hope our country will nurture Korean equivalents of Steve Jobs.”
Choi added that the global behemoths Microsoft, Intel and Apple show the significance of software, which he said will be also the pivotal component in warfare down the road.
“In the future, countries with superior software are expected to beat opponents. Robots will assume the jobs of warriors just as unmanned airplanes show a glimpse of what is in store,” Choi said.
Rep. Kim Young-hwan from the main opposition Democratic Party said that the best software ever has yet to be developed and hopefully the maestros would do it.
“Steve Jobs achieved groundbreaking feats at the age of 21 and so did Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg. I think that we will see such innovators among these maestros,” said the third-term lawmaker, who leads the National Assembly Knowledge Economy Committee.
10명의 젊은 대학생이'한국판 스티브 잡스'에 도전한다.
지식경제부는 25일 제1기 소프트웨어(SW) 전문가 'SW 마에스트로' 10명을 선정하고 이들에게 인증서를 수여했다.
이들은 지경부 장관이 수여하는 인증서와 1인당 5천만원의 지원금, 또한 창업에 필요한 공간과 자금을 지원하는 3억원 상당의 창원지업 프로그램이 제공된다.
작년 650여명의 지원자 중 100명을 추려 지난 1년여간 10명의 SW 마에스트로를 선택했다. 특히 이번 마에스트로에 선정된 유신상씨는 교육 기간에 '2010 삼성 세계 바다 개발 챌린지(bada Global Developer Challenge)'에서 1위를 차지하고 '2010 대한민국 인재상(대통령상)'을 수상하기도 했다.
또한 이동훈(23)씨는 노인복지 SW를 제주도에 위치한 3개 요양원 등 15개 복지기관에 시범 운영함으로 관계 기관으로부터 노인복지 서비스의 질을 한 단계 올려놓았다는 평가를 받았다.
제1기 SW 마에스트로 인증자 명단
▲구재성(22·인하대) ▲김형순(28·고려대) ▲방한민(27·강원대) ▲박남용(28·서울대) ▲변현규(26·세종대) ▲안병현(25·숭실대) ▲유신상(27·인하대) ▲이동훈(23·인하대) ▲이재근(27·숭실대) ▲진성주(25·광운대)
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