● NAEK composed of esteemed scholars in engineering and CEOs/CTOs takes part in SKC’s Open Platform _ base_d on new material-related technologies

● NAEK members to provide specific and professional consulting to businesses

The National Academy of Engineering of Korea (NAEK), which boasts of being the top authority in engineering in the country, has decided to work together with SKC (President Lee, Wan-jae) to enhance the business competitiveness of the country’s startups/ventures/SMEs and strengthen the country’s industrial ecosystem. NAEK, whose members are esteemed scholars in engineering and CEOs, etc., contributes greatly to the development of the country’s engineering and industries by scouting blue-chip engineers and making proposals on industrial/engineering policies.

On July 27, SKC President Lee, Wan-jae signed an MOU intended to reinforce new material-related technology-_ base_d Open Platform with NAEK President Kwon, Oh-kyong, NAEK Vice President Park, Dong-geon, and Chair Na, Kyung-hwan of NAEK’s Technology Management Policy Subcommittee. The MOU stipulates that members of NAEK provide specific and professional consulting in management, factory operation, and R&D to businesses taking part in said Open Platform. NAEK will also provide support in the attraction of investments and hold seminars on technologies and business management.

The Open Platform is a program established in 2017 with SKC playing a central role to provide support for the business activation of startup/ventures/SMEs in a bid to invigorate the country’s industrial ecosystem. At present, a total of 15 institutions (Ulsan Center for Creative Economy & Innovation (UCCEI), Office of Strategic R&D Planning, Anjin LLC., Science and Technology Information (KISTI), Shinhan Bank, KOTEC, Korea Startup Forum, and Sejong Law Firm) are providing support for participating businesses to enhance their capability. The Open Platform will stand on much stronger groundwork with the participation of NAEK.

Commenting on the matter, NAEK President Kwon, Oh-kyong said that they have carried out programs such as provision of technological consulting and attraction of investments for businesses under TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startups Korea) since 2016 and expressed delight at being able to provide support for more startups and SMEs through SKC’s Open Platform.

 “We are getting closer to the goal of invigoration of the ecosystem for materials industries through win-win cooperation with the participation of NAEK - whose members are the country’s esteemed scholars - in the Open Platform as well as other institutions specializing in startup, accounting, law, technology, and finance. We will establish a system for more positive cooperation with more professional institutions and lower its threshold so that more materials businesses may participate,” said SKC President Lee, Wan-jae.  

SKC established the new material technology-_ base_d Open Platform in 2017 and held SKC Startup Plus, which is designed to select businesses taking part in the program through open competition the following year. Since then, the Company has strived to expand the program by increasing the number of participating institutions and businesses with professional capability. In recognition of its effort, SKC was named Business of Voluntary Win-Win Cooperation by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) in May this year.