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Busan Metropolitan City to Recruit Dedicated Accelerators for Fostering Marine and Fisheries Startups at the “Industry-Academia-Research Cooperation Center for Marine Science and Technology”

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will conduct an open recruitment from today (April 20) through April 29 for accelerators (ACs) dedicated to discovering and fostering startups in the marine and fisheries sector at the Industry-Academia-Research Cooperation Center for Marine Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as the Center).

The Center, scheduled to open in the second half of the year, will be the nation’s first industry-academia-research cooperation platform based on artificial intelligence (AI) and data in the marine and fisheries sector. It is being established as a key hub to identify promising companies and support their growth into global unicorn enterprises.

This “Startup Fostering Support Project” targets early-stage companies in advanced marine industries that have been established for less than seven years. It focuses on building an investment-driven acceleration system through professional accelerators.

Selected marine-specialized accelerators will receive up to KRW 50 million in project funding to operate acceleration programs in the second half of the year.

Accelerators will identify at least 10 startups in the marine and fisheries sector and plan and operate customized programs tailored to each growth stage, including company diagnostics and customized consulting, technology advancement and commercialization support, investment attraction (IR) and networking, as well as expert mentoring and training.

In particular, the City plans to strengthen cooperation systems with research institutes, universities, and investment institutions centered on the Center to enhance corporate value and revitalize the startup ecosystem.

This recruitment marks the first selection process for accelerators since the Center’s establishment, with applications due by 6:00 p.m. on April 29.

Application forms can be downloaded from the Busan Techno Park website (www.btp.or.kr), and submissions are accepted only via email at minny585@btp.or.kr.

Busan Techno Park, the jointly entrusted operating institution, will select the final accelerator in May through a two-stage evaluation process consisting of a document screening and an in-person assessment conducted by a selection review committee.

Further details regarding the recruitment can be found on the website.

Previously, the Center secured its initial operational foundation by recruiting 21 small and medium-sized enterprises and confirming the move-in of 13 companies (14 units).

Through an additional recruitment in April, seven more small and medium-sized enterprises will move in, and with the addition of 12 startups identified through accelerators, a balanced industrial ecosystem is expected to be established in which technology-based SMEs and innovative startups grow together.

Cho Young-tae, Director General of the Marine and Fisheries Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “Compared to other industries, the marine and fisheries sector has a relatively low proportion of startup investment. Through the selection of marine-specialized accelerators, we will expand opportunities for investment attraction and actively support the foundation for startups to scale up. We expect that, centered on the Center, we will strengthen an innovation ecosystem based on industry-academia-research collaboration and establish ourselves as a hub for the commercialization and industrial expansion of marine science and technology.”