A comprehensive review of regional policy linkage and startup support outcomes based on community-industry–academia–research cooperation

Acceleration of 2026 project refinement through establishment of a feedback system reflecting on-site opinions

From February 20 to 21, Korea University Sejong Campus held the ‘2025 Sejong RISE Regional Policy Linkage Project and Industry-Led University Performance Sharing Conference’ at Courtyard by Marriott Sejong, officially reviewing the achievements of its first year of operations.

The conference was organized to strategically establish a feedback system aimed at verifying the practical effectiveness of the four major regional policy linkage projects, the industry-led university programs, and Unit Project 3 (Startup and Corporate Support), all promoted during the inaugural year of the Sejong RISE initiative. The event also sought to refine the design of the second-year projects by incorporating feedback from the field. Approximately 50 stakeholders attended and discussed the sustainability and future direction of a regional innovation model based on community-industry–academia–research collaboration.

On the first day, achievements in region-tailored policy research and industrial ecosystem development were presented. Key outcomes included: integrated education and childcare support to build a foundation for nurturing future human resource; establishment of a companion animal care service system; research on future-oriented urban environments and mobility innovation; and regional sports and commercial district revitalization models. These projects were positively evaluated for going beyond theoretical research by securing empirical data and promoting joint research and business R&D initiatives, thereby ensuring practical execution capabilities.

During the subsequent industry-led university session, updates were shared on technology commercialization consulting and the establishment of virtual clusters in the fields of future mobility, information security, and quantum technologies. The session reaffirmed the university’s role as a key hub for regional strategic industries.

On the second day, practical achievements of Unit Project 3, the ‘Startup and Corporate Support Program,’ were introduced. Tangible outcomes were generated through comprehensive support spanning BM (Business Model) technology consulting, prototype production, proof of concept (PoC), and investment attraction. Notably, several non-local companies that received support either relocated or confirmed plans to relocate their headquarters to Sejong City, demonstrating a virtuous cycle in which startup support leads to population inflow and expansion of the local settlement ecosystem. In addition, by listening to the challenges faced by participating institutions and discussing measures to advance key performance indicators (KPIs), the conference laid the groundwork for more precise planning of the second-year projects.

Lee Changho, Director of the Sejong Research and Business Cooperation Foundation at Korea University, stated, “This conference marks a significant turning point in engineering-level evaluation of first-year outcomes and in verifying administrative coherence. We will fully incorporate field suggestions to complete a second-year project model that further solidifies Sejong City’s regional innovation ecosystem.”

Relatedly, Korea University Sejong Campus plans to continue providing policy research and technical support optimized for local government strategic industries, led by its Sejong Research and Business Cooperation Foundation and the Sejong RISE Project Group, positioning itself as a leading model of mutually beneficial growth between the region and the university.