AI Academia-Industry-Research Collaboration Also Concentrated in the Seoul Metropolitan Area...Korea Small Business Institute: "Regional Customized Ecosystem Needed"

Publication of "Analysis of Academia-Industry-Research Networks for Regional SMEs"

An analysis has found that research and development (R&D) collaboration among academia, industry, and research institutes in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) is heavily concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area and Daejeon. As a result, there is an urgent need to build an ecosystem for the AI transformation of regional small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

On July 22, the Korea Small Business Institute published a policy research report titled "Analysis of Academia-Industry-Research Networks for Regional SMEs: Focusing on AI Technology," suggesting policy directions for establishing an AI innovation ecosystem for regional SMEs.

The analysis showed a distinct trend toward concentration of AI technology-based collaboration among academia, industry, and research institutes in the Seoul metropolitan area. Of the 878 AI-specific national R&D projects involving SMEs conducted between 2019 and 2023, 55.4% were concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Regarding research funding, the Seoul metropolitan area accounted for 45.7% and the central region 40.2%, indicating that R&D resources are concentrated in Seoul and Daejeon. The proportion of projects in the metropolitan area increased from 49.2% in 2019 to 61.5% in 2023, showing a deepening trend of centralization in AI academia-industry-research collaboration.

A similar pattern was observed in AI-based industry collaboration projects. Of 8,947 AI-based industry-related projects analyzed, the largest share by number was in the metropolitan area (46.2%), followed by the central region (18.1%), southeast region (7.7%), Daegyeong region (6.3%), and Honam region (4.9%). In terms of research funding, the Seoul metropolitan area also accounted for 49.6%.

The research team suggested that to enhance the AI competitiveness of regional SMEs, policies should move beyond supporting individual companies and focus on improving access to collaboration networks with universities, research institutes, and technology companies.

Based on this, policy tasks proposed include: strengthening support systems by linking government grants with corporate cash investment; designing dual-track policies that consider company size and basic capabilities; expanding participation to reinforce collaborative networks; and building tailored AI R&D portfolios that reflect regional industrial structures, human resources, and infrastructure.

Hong Woonseon, Senior Research Fellow, said, "Innovation outcomes in the AI field are shaped not only by the capabilities of individual companies, but also by how well companies, universities, and research institutes are connected. It is crucial to establish a collaborative ecosystem that incorporates the industrial base and innovation capacity of each region to ensure regional SMEs are not left behind in the AI transition."

He added, "The likelihood that AI R&D achievements translate into patents, sales, and employment outcomes increases when government support, corporate investment, and collaboration structures with universities and research institutes work in concert."

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