SMEs Ministry Launches Deep Tech Challenge Preliminary Research Teams... Up to 20 Billion Won in Support

Seven Teams Including Spacelyntek Selected
Private Investors to Make Initial Investments of Over 3 Billion Won
Up to 20 Billion Won in R&D Funding Over Four Years

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 24th that it held a launch ceremony for seven preliminary research project teams of the Ecosystem Innovation Type Deep Tech Challenge Project (DCP) at the Startup Venture Campus (SVC) in Mapo-gu, Seoul.

Noh Yongseok, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, is holding a launch ceremony for the preliminary research project team of the Ecosystem Innovation Deep Tech Challenge Project (DCP) at Startup Venture Campus (SVC) Seoul in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Ministry of SMEs and Startups

The DCP is a project that supports the development of disruptive technologies capable of transforming the global market, with the participation of SMEs, startups, large corporations, universities, and government-funded research institutes. On the condition that private investors such as venture capital firms make an initial investment of at least 3 billion won, the final selected projects will receive up to 20 billion won in R&D funding over four years.

A total of 206 consortiums applied for this public contest, resulting in a competition ratio of 41 to 1. Following both written and in-person evaluations by panels of technology and investment experts, as well as citizen experts, seven consortiums were selected for preliminary research.

The selected projects include: ▲Development of a pharmaceutical manufacturing platform based on microgravity in space ▲Establishment of an ecosystem for next-generation thermal process materials, components, and equipment ▲Development of light water small modular reactors (SMR) for heat supply ▲Development of a next-generation antibody therapeutics platform ▲Development of perovskite hybrid displays ▲Development of commercialization technology for sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries ▲Establishment of an intelligent space data center based on satellite clusters.

Major companies and research institutions, including Samsung Electronics and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), will participate in each project to verify both technological feasibility and market potential.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to evaluate the technological feasibility (Proof of Concept, PoC) and market potential (Proof of Market, PoM) of the projects through preliminary research over the next four months, after which it will select five final projects. In addition, companies that received high evaluations but were not selected for the preliminary research will be connected to other support programs such as the Technology Challenge Type DCP and the Scale-up TIPS program.

Noh Yongsuk, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, "If this project is successfully implemented, it will dramatically enhance the technological competitiveness of national strategic industries such as semiconductors, SMRs, and aerospace, and contribute to securing technological sovereignty to lead global supply chains. We will provide up to 20 billion won in focused support over four years to the final selected projects to help them grow into unicorn companies with unrivaled competitiveness."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.