Photo by AVING News
The Gyeonggi-do Business & Science Accelerator (GBSA) announced significant achievements in its “Open Innovation Digital Open Lab” initiative, launched in 2021 in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and ICT, Gyeonggi Province, and Daegu Metropolitan City. Over the past three years, the Digital Open Lab has supported 346 companies in full-cycle product development and trained 615 participants in digital innovation technologies, including AI.
The program provided over 400 technical consultations to aid SMEs in achieving digital transformation. Companies supported by the lab reported 61.6 billion KRW in new revenue, 9 billion KRW in cost savings, 40.4 billion KRW in investments, and the creation of 268 new jobs.
The Digital Open Lab is a joint effort among six research institutions, including Daegu Technopark, the Telecommunications Technology Association, and the Smart Industry Promotion Association. It aims to enhance the digital innovation capabilities of Korean SMEs and startups.
Located on the third floor of Building 1 at the Pangyo Startup Campus, the Digital Open Lab offers various facilities, such as video conferencing rooms, device testing rooms, developer spaces, and seminar rooms. It provides tailored support across the entire development cycle, from planning to commercialization, for companies facing challenges integrating new digital technologies such as AI and 5G into their products and services.
The lab’s programs include discovering and nurturing promising companies, supporting prototype development, offering digital technology training, assisting in public-private fusion device development, providing certification-linked quality verification, operating MEC platforms, offering technical consultations, and aiding global market expansion.
The success of the Digital Open Lab has drawn significant international attention, with over 1,000 foreign delegates visiting this year. Government officials and entrepreneurs from seven Asian countries, including Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, have come for benchmarking. In July, a delegation led by the Party Secretary of Da Nang, Vietnam, visited the lab to experience cutting-edge digital innovation technologies firsthand.
Supported companies have also demonstrated impressive outcomes. MANGOSLAB Co., Ltd., a printing solutions company, developed an AI-based smart adhesive memo printer prototype through the lab’s digital innovation program. Last year, it achieved 3.8 billion KRW in sales and secured cumulative investments of 6.3 billion KRW.
ENERCAMP Co., Ltd. developed an EV emergency charging and portable charging system through a government-linked public innovation device validation project. The system is now operational in Daegu. The company secured 3 billion KRW in investments and is conducting proof-of-concept trials with Verizon and the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Sungcheon Kang, President of GBSA, stated, “The Digital Open Lab connects cutting-edge technologies like AI with innovative ideas, fostering collaboration and development for businesses. We plan to continue supporting corporate growth and establishing the lab as a global innovation ecosystem hub.”
