On May 21, KAIST held a symposium titled “Creating a KAIST-Based Advanced Start-up Ecosystem in Daejeon-Sejong”. Representatives of KAIST, the local government, and the National Assembly participated in the symposium, including Rep. Kwang-jae Lee, director of the government’s K-New Deal project, President Kwang Hyung Lee, and Vice President for Research Sang Yup Lee.

In the symposium, the idea of creating “Korea’s Silicon Valley” in the Daejeon-Sejong region was proposed. Daejeon had previously been considered an optimal location for developing and supporting the start-up culture due to the infrastructure available for research. The construction of a “Start-up Park” began near the end of last year in Gung-dong, located between KAIST and Chungnam National University, to create an environment where innovative start-up companies can thrive. Now, politicians look to connect Daejeon and the Daedeok Innopolis, called the “capital of science”, with the administrative capital, Sejong, to boost economic and technological growth. According to Daejeon Ilbo, Rep. Kwang-Jae Lee emphasized that “KAIST has to be the key engine” to activate the industry in the region. He asserted that it is necessary to attract talented students and high-tech companies onto campus and build a KAIST-based educational platform accessible to teenagers.

Vice President for Research Sang Yup Lee presented the “K-NEST” project, which stands for “New strategy for Ecosystem engineering for Startup and Technology transfer”. The project envisions the accumulation of venture funds and the creation of a single space where business, residence, education, and cultural facilities are integrated to support talented scientists. Furthermore, the necessity of fostering interdisciplinary students who can simultaneously play the role of doctor, scientist, and entrepreneur was highlighted. The creation of a “Bio R&D Hub” was discussed, while Vice President Lee suggested the establishment of a graduate medical college and strengthened cooperation with local hospitals such as Chungnam National University Hospital to train scientists who will lead the bio industry.

Representatives of the Daejeon and Sejong cities expressed their willingness to cooperate and participate in achieving these goals. The progress of these developments should continue to be monitored in the years to come.