DAEJEON — A forum to help companies in South Korea's research and development special zones enter the European market was held on the 29th.
The Innopolis Foundation said it hosted the Korea-Central Europe Innovation & Technology Partnership Meet-Up with Polish and Lithuanian innovation agencies at the foundation's Innopolis Room in Daejeon.
Participants shared innovation support policies and industrial demand in Poland and Lithuania, Central European markets emerging as key destinations for Korean defense exports, and explored cooperation between zone-based companies and local institutions.
Officials from local R&D and business support agencies attended, including Poland's National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) and the Lithuanian Innovation Agency.
Each agency presented its priority industries and corporate support programs, and discussed joint international R&D programs and institutional cooperation with the foundation.
Five companies from the strong small and medium-sized enterprise zones then presented their technologies in defense and aerospace, energy, semiconductors, and robotics and artificial intelligence. The companies held question-and-answer sessions with Polish and Lithuanian officials to gauge local applicability and cooperation needs.
Lee Sang-bong, a director at Airbility, which introduced an anti-drone solution based on electric vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aircraft, said the company had taken part in Poland's MSPO 2026 and would join a NATO innovation training exercise in Latvia in December.
"We want to confirm the applicability of our technology with local institutions and companies and find cooperation opportunities that lead to joint R&D and market entry," Lee said.
Jung Hee-kwon, chairman of the Innopolis Foundation, said the foundation would develop follow-up cooperation models including technology matching between local firms and research institutes and companies in the zones, joint technology development, and links to investment and commercialization.
