Vice Minister Lee Byeong-gwon commends top mutual-growth companies, hears field opinions

Lee Byeong-gwon, second vice minister of SMEs and Startups [Ministry of SMEs and Startups]
Lee Byeong-gwon, second vice minister of SMEs and Startups [Ministry of SMEs and Startups]

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups on Wednesday presented commemorative plaques to 10 outstanding cases of cooperation between large companies, small and medium-sized enterprises and public institutions selected as this year's "Win-Win Honors."

The Win-Win Honors program identifies and rewards exemplary mutual-growth initiatives in which large companies or public institutions have created shared benefits together with their partner small and medium-sized enterprises.

Honorees receive a range of benefits, including corporate publicity support, preferential treatment in co-prosperity evaluations, priority immigration cards and preferential consideration for government awards related to mutual growth.

The 10 selected cases span three categories: technology self-reliance and global expansion (four cases), response to global regulations such as environmental, social and governance standards (two cases), and market expansion through solving social challenges (four cases).

The top-scoring case involved cooperation between Korea Gas Corporation and Hanil Hi-Tech. Korea Gas Corporation opened its Pyeongtaek liquefied natural gas base as a "K-testbed," providing demonstration support and technical data to the smaller firm. Hanil Hi-Tech succeeded in domestically producing ball bearings that remain stable at cryogenic temperatures of minus 162 degrees Celsius, cutting production costs by 30 percent, shortening delivery times by four months and achieving $770,000 in re-exports.

Cooperation cases addressing global ESG regulations also drew attention. Doosan Enerbility and KPCM built a one-stop support system to help comply with the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, while Hanwha Systems, Seoul Standard and Ucast systematically shared and managed supply chain data to achieve strong ESG evaluation results.

Cooperation between large and small companies is playing a role beyond simple support, strengthening overall industrial competitiveness. Large companies and public institutions provide a growth foundation for small and medium-sized enterprises through technology demonstration, market development and overseas expansion, while the smaller firms raise the competitiveness of the industrial ecosystem through innovative technologies and products — creating a virtuous cycle. The government plans to continue identifying outstanding cases and expanding incentives to help spread this cooperative model.

"The ministry will expand the scope of cooperation beyond manufacturing-centered mutual growth to diverse industries including finance, defense and online platforms," said Lee Byeong-gwon, second vice minister of SMEs and Startups. "We will further strengthen support and incentives for companies that build a foundation for growth across the entire business ecosystem and that discover and spread outstanding mutual-growth models."


boo@heraldcorp.com