R&D special zones to drive deep tech startups and commercialization

Key guests pose for a group photo at the 2026 Deep Tech Performance Exchange held Monday in Daejeon. [Innopolis Foundation]

The government has set the stage for sharing achievements and spreading an innovation ecosystem among regional deep tech startups and technology commercialization companies, with R&D special zones at the center of the effort.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Innopolis Foundation held the 2026 Deep Tech Performance Exchange on Monday at Hotel ICC in Daejeon.

Deep tech refers to fields requiring long-term research and development and a high degree of technical difficulty. Central to its success is the ability to translate outstanding research from universities and institutions into real industrial innovation and new growth engines — along with an ecosystem that promotes technology commercialization and entrepreneurship.

R&D special zones have promoted technology commercialization and startups based on research from science and technology universities and government-funded research institutes, establishing themselves as a key platform for balanced national development — hosting more than 15,000 resident companies and generating 85.9 trillion won ($57 billion) in revenue.

The event was organized to build on those achievements and propel R&D special zones into world-class deep tech hubs while strengthening regional innovation ecosystems. About 200 people attended, including Koo Hyeok-chae, first vice minister of science and ICT, and Jeong Hee-kwon, president of the Innopolis Foundation, along with representatives from industry, academia, research institutions, investment firms and deep tech companies.

In a keynote presentation, the Ministry of Science and ICT unveiled a "Deep Tech Startup Activation Strategy." The ministry identified entrepreneurs, technology, and investment and incubation systems as the key success factors for deep tech startups, and outlined core tasks: easing the burden on researcher-founders, building demonstration infrastructure to convert technology into market value, and nurturing specialized investment and incubation institutions in the deep tech sector. It also said national support for deep tech — as a high-risk, high-potential area aimed at disruptive innovation — is essential.

Outcomes of R&D special zone designations. [Ministry of Science and ICT]

At a deep tech startup open table, Kim Bu-gi, chief executive of Standard Energy, served as moderator, with Park Tae-gyo of Intocell, Kim Byeong-gon of Endo Robotics, Lee Ju-haeng of Pebblous and Kwon Oh-seok, executive director of Ecopro Partners, joining as panelists. The panelists shared candid, firsthand accounts of the challenges and growth they experienced throughout the deep tech startup journey — from founding ventures as students and researchers to securing investment — and discussed their own differentiated growth strategies.

A conference that followed examined scale-up strategies tailored to each stage of company growth, with in-depth discussions on the deep tech investment ecosystem, public-technology-based entrepreneurship, initial public offerings and global expansion strategies.

Several companies that have produced standout results drew attention at the event. They included Sovagen, which licensed technology from KAIST to develop a treatment for refractory epilepsy and achieved 770 billion won in technology exports; Cellias, which is developing retinal regeneration-based therapeutics; Linsol, which has commercialized sound-wave-based drone detection technology; and Nania Labs, an AI manufacturing design platform company.

These companies are growing through R&D special zones' full-cycle support system — spanning technology advancement, demonstration, investment linkage and global expansion — by building startups and commercializing public-sector technologies with the zones as their base.

"I hope this becomes an opportunity to show researchers the possibilities of commercialization and to give startups a chance to grow," Vice Minister Koo said. "The government will continue to expand its support so that deep tech entrepreneurship and technology commercialization can translate into regional and national growth."

nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com