Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) announced on the 2nd that it has signed an agreement with the Saigon Innovation Hub (SI-HUB), a startup support organization under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology, to promote technology exchange and the discovery and cultivation of startups between the two countries.

The agreement, which was concluded locally in Ho Chi Minh City, comes two years after Jeollabuk-do, JBNU's Startup Support Center, the Jeonbuk Center for Creative Economy & Innovation, and Hyosung Corporation signed an agreement with the Saigon Innovation Hub in 2020.

The 2020 agreement was limited to establishing the "KORETOVIET Center," a Korea–Vietnam corporate exchange center within SI-HUB, and providing space support.

Under the new agreement, the scope of cooperation has expanded to include technology commercialization through exchange of university-held technologies, collaboration to identify buyers and investors for startups' local market entry, and linked support with regional universities. In particular, this will further expand export channels for tenant companies in JBNU's Business Incubator and initiatives such as Hope Jeonbuk Post-bi.

In addition, separate agreements are being pursued to promote exports of regional startups by identifying a major Vietnamese beauty distributor (B-Balance) and a major consumer goods distributor (Youth Market), and, through cooperation with KORETOVIET, organizing exhibitions and consultation events.

Kwon Dae-gyu, Director of the Startup Support Center, said, "Jeollabuk-do startups will seek to diversify their export channels by developing global markets. We will continue to serve as a hub for entrepreneurship-centered universities in the Honam region and do our best to ensure that startups can use this as a foothold for entering the Southeast Asian market."