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Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Design Foundation of the Republic of Korea provide stage-by-stage support to strengthen the competitiveness of the design industry, from recruiting emerging designers to nurturing their growth into world-class designers or successful companies. The SME Design Development Support Program represents the final stage of this initiative, assisting competent design-specialized companies to collaborate with SMEs possessing cutting-edge future growth technologies in developing products and services.
Entering its second year, the project began accepting applications in February 2024. SMEs with design needs and design-specialized companies formed consortia to apply. A total of 38 consortia (comprising 76 companies) were selected for support. Over a project period of approximately four months, each consortium successfully completed its design outcomes."
Each of the selected 38 consortia received design development funding ranging from KRW 20 million to KRW 30 million. Comprehensive training in material design management and other advanced education commenced in May. Following one-on-one preliminary assessments, development tasks were specified, and high-quality products and services were developed through coordinating and mentoring across specialized fields. This support enabled the companies to achieve tangible results in the market.
Furthermore, the completed product services were showcased at the "2024 DDP Design Launch Fair," a premier Seoul design industry launch platform held at DDP from October 17 to 27. This initiative aimed to create business opportunities, attracting approximately 87,000 visitors over the 10-day exhibition period. European and Asian buyers from entities such as The Conran Shop (UK), Coming Soon (USA), and MoMA (Hong Kong), along with Korean distribution buyers from Lotte Home Shopping, Coupang, Kurly, and Wadiz, visited to engage in business consultations with participating companies. Additionally, investment firms in Korea, including Central Investment Partners and Daesung Startup Investment, were invited to attend investment attraction presentations, receiving significant positive responses.
Among the 38 consortia, four outstanding consortia leading future growth areas were selected based on expert evaluations of feasibility according to design development goals, excellence and differentiation of design, and the applicability and expected effects of the outcomes. These consortia were awarded an additional KRW 10 million in prizes.
AscenKorea Inc. (SME) and Design Plus Story (Design Company) collaborated to design a portable, ultra-compact, lightweight, high-precision satellite navigation device. Based on this design, AscenKorea revealed the potential to enter the global satellite navigation equipment market.
Project Noah Inc. (SME) and ohSeven Co., Ltd. (Design Company) redesigned existing bamboo toothbrushes and solid toothpaste packages, which previously struggled to communicate product excellence beyond eco-friendliness. Utilizing the imagery of Noah's Ark as a "safe haven amidst a flood of harmful substances," they effectively conveyed the safety of Dr. Noah's products to customers.
Lablup Inc. (SME) and Vice Versa Design Studio (Design Company) significantly enhanced the usability of the existing web and app interfaces of Backend.AI, an AI model development and deployment resource management platform. By applying new design syntax and user experience principles, the Backend.AI service is expected to make artificial intelligence technology more accessible and user-friendly.
PiQuant Co., Ltd. (SME) and LomonYellowPlus Co., Ltd. (Design Company) developed Water Scanner, a portable IoT water quality analysis solution based on spectroscopy that does not require E. coli cultivation. The design facilitates real-time, on-site water quality analysis, with substantial potential for use in developing countries.
Moving forward, Seoul City and Seoul Design Foundation will continue actively investing in design agencies to enable substantial growth alongside SMEs in future industrial sectors. They aim to expand support to establish a foundation for international advancement progressively.
The 38 developed products can be viewed on the website, www.seoulindustrydesign.com , and consortium applications for SMEs and design-specialized companies in future industrial sectors will commence in March 2025.
Contact Info:
Name: Media team
Email: Send Email
Organization: Seoul Design Foundation
Website: https://www.seoulindustrydesign.com
Release ID: 89145627
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