Thirty-two teams from across the country competed to be identified as candidates for move-in at the former Seonghwadae site.
Gangjin-gun held a two-day startup competition tied to its project to revitalize the former Seonghwadae site on June 9 and 10, selecting 15 teams as candidates for tailored follow-up support.
Thirty-two teams from across the country competed in fields spanning environmental protection, carbon reduction, eco-friendly food and new technology development. Companies ranging from firms in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to businesses in South Jeolla Province gathered to explore potential collaboration with Gangjin-gun.
On the first day, specialist mentors conducted one-on-one sessions with each participating company, assessing the distinctiveness, marketability and growth potential of their technologies and products. The mentors compiled individualized diagnostic reports for each firm, which will serve as foundational material for future growth strategy planning.
On the second day, teams refined their business plans based on the mentoring feedback before presenting to a panel of judges. Evaluators focused on each team's ability to leverage Gangjin-gun's local resources, their willingness to relocate to Gangjin, their plans to move into the Seonghwadae site, and their potential to collaborate with public institutions in Gangjin-gun and South Jeolla Province.
The top three teams received awards. The grand prize went to Rounded K, a company based in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, that is developing refrigerant-free, eco-friendly rapid-freezing technology using carbon-neutral Peltier elements and aerodynamic engineering. The firm was selected for its technological innovation and strong potential links to Gangjin-gun's agriculture and fisheries sectors and carbon neutrality goals. In addition, 15 teams in total were chosen to receive customized follow-up support based on the presentation results. The full list of selected teams will be published on the website of the Jeollanam-do Environmental Industry Promotion Institute (jeipi.or.kr).
Gangjin-gun plans to roll out a series of follow-up programs for the top-performing teams, including tailored consulting, pilot project linkages and networking support. The county intends to run intensive growth-support programs through the end of the year to cultivate what it calls "Gangjin-style future growth companies."
"We will spare no effort in continuously supporting companies so that Gangjin-gun and startups can further strengthen their cooperative foundation and businesses can settle stably in Gangjin and grow together," a Gangjin-gun official said.
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