The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 30th it is recruiting corporations to participate in the "2026 top 50 outstanding small and medium-sized enterprise research and development (R&D) achievements."
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) has run the program since 2017 to identify outstanding R&D outcomes and support commercialization. It has selected a total of 358 corporations so far.
This year, among corporations that have successfully completed or are currently implementing small and medium-sized enterprise R&D projects under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) within the past five years, a total of 50 companies will be selected across four fields: commercialization, strategic technologies, limits and retry, and public innovation.
In particular, starting this year, to expand the discovery of outstanding corporations, in addition to direct applications by corporations, a new "recommendation system" was introduced under which R&D support institutions—such as regional offices of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, technoparks, Centers for Creative Economy and Innovation, regional industry promotion agencies, and TIPS operators—recommend outstanding corporations.
Follow-up support for selected corporations was also strengthened. Along with a commendation from the Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), the ministry plans to provide commercialization funding of up to 150 million won by recommending them to the government excellent project track in the technology commercialization package, guarantee linkage for project guarantees of up to 10 billion won, and 1 million won in export credit guarantee fee support.
Hwang Young-ho, director general for technology innovation policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), said, "We will support the completion of 'money-making R&D' that leads to small and medium-sized enterprises' economic outcomes."
Small and medium-sized enterprises wishing to participate can apply through the Comprehensive Management System for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Technology Development Projects.