The South Korean government plans to identify 10 key technologies to enhance the independent technological capabilities and global competitiveness of mid-sized enterprises. Selected projects will receive up to 100 billion won each over five years, supporting everything from technology development to patents, standards, certifications, and international expansion, with the aim of nurturing leading mid-sized companies in the global market.
On October 15, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will hold a launch ceremony for a roundtable meeting at the LW Convention Center in Seoul to plan and identify the 'World Class 10 Wings Project.' This initiative is part of the 'Third Basic Plan for Promoting the Growth of Mid-Sized Enterprises,' announced on October 1, which focuses on supporting mid-sized companies in securing competitive system-level technologies.
Previously, the government introduced the 'Decacore Project' in the Third Basic Plan, aimed at fostering global mid-sized enterprises with independent technologies and intellectual property. The government announced plans to invest a total of 1 trillion won by 2035 to secure 10 key super-gap technologies.
Additionally, the plan includes over 13.7 trillion won in investment support for regional mid-sized enterprises and aims to assist 350 manufacturing mid-sized companies in transitioning to AI by 2030. The roundtable meeting will serve as a follow-up procedure to select specific candidate projects for the development of the 10 key super-gap technologies.
The roundtable will be co-chaired by Park Dong-il, Director of the Industrial Policy Office at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Yoon Ui-jun, Chairman of the Korean Academy of Engineering. More than 20 experts from industry, academia, and research will participate to discuss the project's planning direction, criteria for selecting technology development projects, and timelines.
The World Class 10 Wings Project will expand the scope of support from existing mid-sized enterprise initiatives. The government plans to identify large-scale research and development (R&D) projects that enable mid-sized enterprises to lead system technology development across the entire value chain, including parts, materials, equipment, processes, and finished products.
Technology development projects will be pursued in two main directions: technologies that can create new markets by surpassing the limitations of existing technologies and those that can secure overwhelming technological advantages in existing markets. To discover creative ideas from mid-sized enterprises, the government will conduct technology demand surveys and meetings with industry stakeholders. Following this, in-depth discussions and technology validations will be held in a hackathon format, with the goal of identifying 10 candidate projects by the end of this year.
The final selected projects will receive comprehensive support for not only independent technology development but also securing patents and international standards, certifications, and market entry. Each project will receive up to 100 billion won over five years.
Considering the urgency and importance of technology development, some projects will be supported through preliminary research in 2027 and leading projects in 2028. The remaining projects will be gradually pursued starting in 2029 after consultations with science and technology and budget authorities. This initiative aims to help mid-sized enterprises grow into core companies with key technologies in the global supply chain.
Park Dong-il, Director of the Industrial Policy Office, stated, "We hope that the system technology development through this 10 Wings Project will serve as a springboard for our mid-sized enterprises to soar into the global market. The government will actively support mid-sized enterprises in becoming global core companies that lead system technologies and supply chains, restoring the growth ladder from small to mid-sized to large enterprises."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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