The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 8th that, starting on the 9th, it will recruit corporations to participate in the first half of the "2026 small and medium-sized enterprise technology innovation development project" to respond to intensifying global competition for technological supremacy and to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises' technological innovation capabilities.
The small and medium-sized enterprise technology innovation development project is the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS)'s flagship program that supports research and development (R&D) of globally leading and promising technologies to help enhance small and medium-sized enterprises' technological competitiveness and advance into overseas markets. In the first half of 2026, 70 new corporations will be selected, and a total of 22.3 billion won in research and development costs will be provided.
This year's program lowers the bar for support in line with the changing global industrial environment and is notable for considering both social value and growth potential.
First, the "export-oriented" program will provide up to 1 billion won per year for up to two years per corporation to secure competitiveness in global markets. In particular, starting this year, the previously limited 124 strategic item categories were abolished so that small and medium-sized enterprises can autonomously propose innovative projects. However, for strategic technology projects such as the 12 national strategic technologies and carbon neutrality, preferential treatment will be given in evaluations to maintain policy consistency.
The newly established "jump-up linkage type" supports corporations selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS)'s "Jump-Up Program" to grow into global leading corporations. Five corporations will be selected in the first half, and up to 1 billion won over two years in R&D expense will be provided in a linked manner.
Support will also be strengthened for the recently spotlighted "K-beauty" sector. The scope has expanded from a focus on functional ingredients and eco-friendly packaging to include beauty devices and dermacosmetics, and 10 corporations will receive up to 500 million won over two years to boost the global competitiveness of the cosmetics industry.
Support for corporations that fulfill social responsibility will also make its debut. The newly established "social venture" type aims to address complex social issues such as the climate crisis and aging. Among corporations identified as social ventures through the Korea Technology Finance Corporation (KOTEC), five will be selected, and "social ripple effect," which measures contributions to community development in addition to technological outcomes, will be used as a key evaluation metric.
In addition, support will continue for the "super-gap linkage type" projects targeting corporations selected for the "Super-Gap Startup 1000+ Project," which aims to create future growth engines, with five corporations to be selected.
Hwang Young-ho, director general for technology innovation policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), said, "In an environment of intensifying global competition, technological prowess is a key factor that determines a corporation's survival and growth," adding, "We will strengthen support for technological innovation focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises with high export potential to solidify the position of our corporations in global markets."