SK Group incubating startups in Daejeon

By Bahk Eun-ji

SEJONG ― SK Group has stepped up efforts to nurture startups into becoming globally-competitive enterprises through a research and tech-incubation center set up in Daejeon.

The city is regarded as a center of technology and science because it accommodates many research institutes, startups and schools.

SK Group established the Creative Economy Center in Daejeon last October to support Internet-based and other tech startups.

The center has played a role as an incubator for backing startups and young entrepreneurs, providing them with know-how about information and communication technology.

SK selected 10 startups and 13 entrepreneurs for the incubation project. Of these, six have doctorate degrees, four have masters’ degrees and three bachelors’ degrees.

Lee Jae-ho, head of the Daejeon Creative Economy Center, said that a growing number of researchers and young entrepreneurs have shown a keen interest in the center.

He said that the center is located at an ideal place because it is a magnet of the nation’s top brains, which houses Daedeok Science Complex and other top institutes.

“Many scholars and researchers are showing interest in nurturing startups with utilization of the technologies and patents accumulated at the Daedeok Science Complex,” Lee said.

Lee said the center will help establish a regional ecosystem where big and small companies can work together to produce innovative products.

TEGway, established by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) research team, is one of 10 companies supported by SK Group at the center.

TEGway developed a wearable film with fiber glass that can generate electricity from any kind of heat, including body heat.

It can be installed in wearable devices as a battery, which can then be charged from any heat source including cars, aircraft, and factory machines.

“Our products can be used in ICT and energy segments. SK Group is one of the buyers of TEGway products, but at the same time, it is our partner that provides global marketing networks for us,” said TEGway CEO, Lee Kyung-su.

SK also helps startups advance into the global market by offering office space and using its units abroad such as SK Innopartners in the United States.

SK also runs Smart Farm as a pilot project at Changjo (Creative) Village in Sejong, constructing a system that allows farmers to control temperatures, humidity and water supplies at vinyl green houses with their smartphones.

“Before using the system, farmers like me have to manually take care of our products over 24 hours, but now our lifestyle got a lot better with the smart farming,” said Jang Kul-soon, a farmer growing strawberries in the village.

SK also set up video security system all over the town to help prevent theft.