Soongsil University Campustown said on the 2nd that it was selected again for this year's Seoul Campustown program in recognition of its performance in building an artificial intelligence (AI)-based startup ecosystem and will continue supporting startup corporations for the next four years, extending the support it has provided over the past six years.
Soongsil University Campustown secured 15 startup support projects from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and central government ministries, invested a total budget of 25.6 billion won, and discovered and nurtured 538 startup corporations. It was credited with establishing a comprehensive support system spanning the entire cycle of technology startups and spreading the "AI+X" startup model that fuses AI with multiple industrial sectors.
Soongsil University Campustown also received an A+, the top grade, in the 2024 Seoul Campustown performance evaluation.
Centered on AI technology, it is expanding its startup support scope to advanced industries such as advanced mobility, next-generation semiconductors, and cybersecurity. By linking the university's education and research infrastructure with regional cooperation systems, it designed a support structure that enables resident corporations to proceed from technology development to actual market entry.
Soongsil University Campustown runs practical training centered on AI technologies such as prompt engineering and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). Last year, it produced more than 200 AI practitioners. In internship programs connected with local startups, some participants moved into full-time hires. It narrowed the gap between on-site workforce demand and the curriculum.
It is also providing scale-up support tailored to the growth stages of startup corporations. In collaboration with operators of the TIPS program—where private investors lead the discovery and support of promising technology startup corporations—it is facilitating investment linkages. Some resident corporations achieved follow-up results such as selection for government support programs or attracting investment.
Region-linked demonstration projects are also a key pillar. In cooperation with Dongjak District, it pursued projects reflecting local needs, such as senior healthcare and a regional economy platform, and some projects were included in this year's main local government budget and selected as ongoing initiatives. It established a cooperation model among universities, local governments, and corporations focused on demonstrations.
Soongsil University Campustown is systematically supporting patent strategies for global expansion, overseas filings, and collaboration with global accelerators. Some corporations have won innovation awards at the world's largest IT exhibition, gaining recognition for both technological strength and marketability.
Based on its achievements so far, Soongsil University Campustown plans to advance its support system that connects talent cultivation, startup corporation growth, market validation, and global expansion.
Director General Kwak Won-jun of Soongsil University Campustown said, "We will continue to expand an innovative startup ecosystem that grows together with the region, centered on AI capabilities," adding, "We will establish ourselves as a university campustown model that leads AI-based technology startups."