The Korea Venture Startup Association (President Lee Woo-jin) announced that it held the “Korea Venture Startup Association Spring Joint Academic Conference” on the 26th at the Seoul Startup Hub Gongdeok in Mapo-gu, Seoul, in collaboration with the Korea Entrepreneurship Association (President Choi Ja-young) and the Entrepreneurship Society (President Park Sang-moon). Under the theme “The Startup Ecosystem in the Big Blur Era: Collaboration and Convergence Strategies Beyond Boundaries,” the conference analyzed the new paradigm of the startup ecosystem in the rapidly evolving era of convergence, where boundaries between technology and industry are rapidly dissolving, and explored future opportunities.

Lee Woo-jin, president of the Korean Venture Entrepreneurship Society, said, “This academic conference was a meaningful opportunity for key figures in the field of entrepreneurship to gather and seek cooperation and breakthroughs in various entrepreneurial ecosystems. We expect that the participation of far more people than anticipated will lead to positive dissemination.”

Kim Seong-seop, Deputy Minister of SMEs and Startups, emphasized in his congratulatory speech, “Entrepreneurship studies are a pioneering field that creates future trends. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will take the lead in improving systems and establishing support measures to foster active entrepreneurship.”

In the keynote speeches, Kim Jong-yoon, CEO of Yanolja; Park Young-hoon, CEO of D.Camp; and Kim Yong-soo, CEO of Kigle, shared examples of startup growth and the practical value of the entrepreneurial spirit.

In the thematic presentation session, a policy forum was held on the topic of “Overseas Status and Domestic Development Directions of the Early-Stage Investment Ecosystem.” Professor Jeon Seong-min of Gachon University moderated the session, with participants including Cho Min-sik, President of the Korea Angel Investment Association; Jeon Hwa-sung, President of the Early-Stage Investment Accelerator Association; Han Jeong-soo, CEO of Zoom In Partners; and Kim Seon-woo, Director of the STEPI (Science and Technology Policy Institute) Center, who shared overseas cases and domestic development directions. This was followed by a panel discussion on ways to secure the global competitiveness of the Korean startup ecosystem, with Choi Sung-ho, President of AI Angel Club; Lee Woo-jin, President of the Venture Startup Association; Park Sang-moon, President of the Entrepreneurship Association; and Choi Ja-young, President of the Startup Association, participating as panelists.

The academic session included presentations on “Management Dilemmas Experienced by Venture Startups (Teaching Case),” “Technology Cooperation Strategies Leading Open Innovation,” ” Crossing Market Boundaries in Startup Strategies,” ‘Open Innovation and CVC (Corporate-led Venture Capital),’ ‘AI-based Entrepreneurship,’ ‘Expanding Technology Collaboration and Alliance Strategies Driven by Open Innovation,’ and ”Sustainable Entrepreneurship Models.”

A representative from the Korean Venture Entrepreneurship Society stated, “This academic conference serves as a concrete example of the practical outcomes resulting from the MOU signed in March between the three societies, solidifying the foundation for joint research and policy collaboration in entrepreneurship. We anticipate that this collaboration will establish itself as a model for driving innovation and growth in the entrepreneurship ecosystem moving forward.”