The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced the results of the "2025 public institution co-prosperity growth assessment" on the 26th. The assessment was conducted to encourage public institutions to play a leading role in co-prosperity growth and to spread a culture of mutual benefit.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) has assessed co-prosperity growth activities of public institutions since 2007 and has published results by dividing them into five grades: top, excellent, good, average, and needs improvement.
The 2025 assessment covered a total of 133 public institutions. As a result, 65 institutions, or 48.9% of the total, received the top grade. Excellent accounted for 25 institutions (18.8%), good for 19 institutions (14.3%), average for 13 institutions (9.8%), and needs improvement for 11 institutions (8.2%). Institutions with grades of excellent or higher accounted for 67.7% of the total.
Fifty-two institutions rose in grade from the previous year, while 13 fell. In particular, 15 institutions entered the top grade for the first time, and 39 institutions maintained the top grade for two consecutive years. Korea Midland Power (KOMIPO) recorded the top grade for 11 consecutive years, establishing itself as a leading institution in co-prosperity growth.
Looking at best practices, the Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology (KIMFT) leveraged overseas networks built through official development assistance (ODA) projects to supply small and midsize enterprises' shipboard navigation equipment to a Peruvian naval vessel construction project. Recognized for introducing co-prosperity settlement in 2025 and operating a performance-sharing program, the institution rose four levels from "needs improvement" to "top."
In technology cooperation, Korea Midland Power (KOMIPO) opened power generation data to small and midsize enterprises and provided power plant sites to demonstrate artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technologies. Through this, small and midsize enterprises developed technology to detect early signs of anomalies at high-risk sites in advance.
Top-scoring institutions by public institution type were also announced. In the state-owned enterprise social overhead capital (SOC) category, SR Co.; in the state-owned enterprise energy category, Korea Midland Power (KOMIPO); in the state-owned enterprise industry promotion and services category, Korea Housing & Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG); in the quasi-governmental institution fund management type category, Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (KODIT); in the quasi-governmental institution entrusted execution type category, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA); and in the other public institutions category, Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) each received the highest score.
The overall improvement in public institutions' co-prosperity growth levels was backed by expanded grants to co-prosperity cooperation funds, the spread of performance-sharing programs, and improvements in the co-prosperity settlement environment. Institutions granting to the co-prosperity cooperation fund increased from 107 to 112, and the 2025 grant amount was 39.4 billion won, up 22.7% from the previous year.
The co-prosperity settlement environment to increase transparency in transaction payments also improved. The number of institutions whose transaction partners (primary suppliers) implemented co-prosperity settlement for lower-tier partners increased from 89 to 100, and the 2025 settlement amount also rose to 351 billion won, up 21.7% from the previous year. The performance-sharing program also spread. The number of adopting institutions increased from 115 to 122, showing that a culture of sharing benefits is taking root across the public sector.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) plans to reflect these assessment results in public institution management evaluations to encourage voluntary participation. It will also provide tailored consulting to institutions rated "good" or lower to strengthen their co-prosperity growth capabilities.
Minister Han Seong-sook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said, "Public institutions' efforts for co-prosperity cooperation are gradually spreading," and added, "We will do our best to spread best practices and provide policy support so that public institutions set an example in co-prosperity cooperation and its outcomes lead to the growth of small and midsize enterprises."