The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said it will recruit large corporations, mid-sized corporations, and public institutions to participate in the "2026 public-private open innovation support program" from the 30th to Jan. 23 next year.
The public-private open innovation support program is a program that supports collaboration between large corporations, mid-sized corporations, public institutions, and startups with goals such as entering new businesses and introducing innovative technologies. Startups that build collaboration partnerships receive up to 140 million won for technology verification and prototype production. About 120 startups will be eligible in 2026.
This program will operate on two tracks: "strategic task-solving" and "private selection and recommendation." For the strategic task-solving track, when large corporations, mid-sized corporations, and public institutions submit collaboration tasks that fall under fields included in the "2025–2027 SME technology strategy roadmap," the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) will later solicit startups to carry them out, match them, and support collaboration. About 30 collaboration tasks will be selected.
For the private selection and recommendation track, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) will provide linked support for startups selected through the in-house open innovation programs of open-innovation-demand corporations and support institutions. It will select about 30 programs from corporations and institutions with strong open innovation capabilities—such as track records in co-prosperity, dedicated organizations, and budgets—and receive recommendations for startups selected through those programs.
Cho Kyung-won, entrepreneurship policy director at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), said, "As market and industry conditions change rapidly, open innovation has taken root as an essential strategy for corporations to introduce innovative technologies and enter new businesses," and added, "We will invigorate the open innovation ecosystem for the innovation and growth of all of our corporations."