South Korea's four leading science and technology institutes will jointly run a support program to help domestic deep tech startups verify their global market competitiveness and commercialization potential.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) announced Wednesday that they are recruiting participants for the "2026 Emerging Tech Global Launchpad."
The Emerging Tech Global Launchpad goes beyond simple mentoring to support companies through local proof-of-concept (PoC) trials, investment attraction, and global network connections. The program targets technology-based startups that hold core emerging technologies in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology, next-generation energy, and biotechnology, and are preparing to commercialize in global markets.
Each institute will identify promising emerging tech startups in its respective region: GIST in the Honam region, KAIST in the central region, DGIST in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region, and UNIST in the southeastern region.
The institutes plan to connect startups with their regional entrepreneurship networks and overseas cooperation infrastructure, providing support until tangible results are achieved. However, if a company's CEO is affiliated with one of the four science institutes, the company can apply through that institution regardless of its location, lowering the barrier to entry.
The program is divided into two tracks based on each company's readiness stage and target market. Type 1, the "Go-To-Global" track, targets 20 companies that are already preparing for or have partially entered overseas markets. Selected companies will participate in overseas local PoC programs to verify their technology's fit with local customers and commercialization potential. They will also receive support through validation environments and expert networks linked to local partners.
Type 2, the "Born-To-Global" track, is designed for 30 companies looking to build their overseas expansion capabilities. The program offers PoC-customized training and intensive commercialization support focused on advancing overseas product and customer discovery strategies, designing investment attraction scenarios, and developing local market entry methodologies.
After the PoC-focused development phase, the program will connect participants with international conferences held in major innovation hubs such as the U.S. West Coast, East Coast, and Singapore, expanding opportunities to build networks with investors, global companies, and industry stakeholders, as well as overseas commercialization prospects.
This initiative builds on the "Deep Tech Student Startup Integrated League (GRAVITY)," which the four science institutes have jointly operated, expanding their cooperation to include overseas customer validation and PoC support for companies. "It is significant that we have broadened our support beyond identifying student startups to include overseas validation and global market entry for region-based emerging tech startups," KAIST said.
