CK Business Workshop

The session designed to spur close inter-action between industry and academics

'CK Business Workshop'was held on August 31st at the Coex Inter-Continental Hotel in downtown Seoul designed to raise the awareness for the CK project policies and let it spread among the reformists in industry, academics and research through the session on the explanation of Korea-Connect project's policies and direction.
Taking part in the event included 100 managers in charge of overall business matters of the CK project, numerous experts, along with those responsible for the project in government ministries. They came together to discuss the direction of the project and to show samples of the project both at home and abroad.
The Presidential Committee on Balanced National Development, the Ministries of Human Resources and Education and Commerce, Industry and Energy, were sponsors of the event while the Korean Technology Transfer Center and the Korea Research Foundation were organizers and conducted the event.
The Connect Korea project is aimed at increasing exchange between research and businesses to ease the disconnection between industry and academics and induce the development of technologies based on demand. The project selected 28 TLOs for transfer of technologies to support employment of manpower, marketing the transfer of technologies and technology evaluation.
President Sohn Young-bok of the Korea Technology Transfer Center, in his opening speech of the event, said Korea is ranked 5th now based on its excellent manpower resources, R&D capacities, in terms of applications for intelligent property rights and is in the age of the technology commercialization that is increasing national capability.
He said the paradigm for technology renovation has changed to open innovation, making businesses scramble for diversification for technology commercialization by using outside technologies they secure from universities, and research institutes. They rapidly opened the way for an open-type technology reform system, he said.
Sec. General Woo Jae-chang of Korea Research Foundation,
in his congratulatory speech, said if last year were the initial year for CK project, this year has been the year to strengthen its organization and manpower. In 2008, the effort to diversify the technology projects will continue.
Sec. General Seong Kyong-ryung of the Presidential Committee on Balanced National Development said Korea's national development model should be based on R&D activities with a focus on creativity in his speech entitled, "Korea's future development and strategies for creative state. A cluster created by R&D activities including culture and arts will advance quality development, which will bring wealth to the nation and consequently boost our international position, he stressed.
Currently, Korea ranks the 7th in the world in terms of the scale of annual investment in R&D activities amounting to 24 trillion won and is at the point where it should convert to R&DB centered on R&D demand or R&DB. The number of the designated evaluation organizations total 81 and professional personnel with the organizations totaling 420 based on 2006 statistics.
Organizations dealing with technology transfers increased to 24 from 15 in 2002 and the number of business firms dealing with technology transactions rose to 338 in 2006 from 126 in 2002, Seong said.
In order for Korea to continue to spur economic development, creative state strategy should be made a core strategy and back it up with balanced development and external liberal development strategies, Seong continued.
The government also should pursue both quality and quantitative expansion of R&D activities with renovation in quality, especially, and businesses should make efforts to relate their R&D activities to further opening of the country to foreign investment and businesses. Individuals should also take creativity and challenging spirit seriously, he added.
Team Chief Kim Yun-sook of the Small-Medium Business Administration who showed the success of UCSD (University of California at San Diego) Connect, said in 1985, the UCSD Connect set up on the campus of UCSD is being managed independently from the government or school authorities with its membership comprised of 200 research institutes, colleges, hi-tech businesses, service organizations, and government-related organizations.
The secret of the UCSD Connect's success was due to the excellent personnel, strict standards, and the spirit of the community which makes working as coaches and panel members a great honor, among others.
What have been shown from the successful cases of UCSD Connect for others to learn were that they operated programs tailored to corporate demands and local programs based on trust of the local community and playing an important role as the connector in cooperation between industry and academics, which was more important than technology transfer.
Chung Seong-chan, an expert member of the Presidential Committee on Balanced National Development, said securing professional personnel to be placed in charge, building data base to further strengthen CK project's firm base, the development of diversified Connect programs focused on cooperate demands and operation, and stronger relations with related government agencies such as the Patent Office are very critical for success was the focus of his speech entitled, "Future directions of CK project policies." nw

President Sohn Young-bock of the Korea Technology Transfer Center delivers an opening speech at Connect Korea Business Workshop held Aug. 31 at Coex InterContinental Hotel.
(right photo) A scene from the Connect Korea Business Workshop held at Coex InterContinental Hotel in downtown Seoul.