Song Cheol-gyu, Director of the LINC 3.0 Project Group (Leaders in INdustry-university Cooperation 3.0) and Executive Vice-President of Research at Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), received a Commendation from the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy at the 2023 New Technology Commercialization Promotion Conference held in Seoul on December 13, 2023.

The New Technology Commercialization Promotion Conference is an annual event organized by the Korea Agency for Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to encourage the development of new technologies and to promote market entry, such as public institution purchases of certified products. This year marks the 27th edition of the conference.

At this event, Professor Song was awarded the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy's Commendation in the New Technology Commercialization Promotion category in recognition of his leadership in operating the 'Support Program for Certification of Outstanding Technology Development Products' and for generating measurable outcomes.

Since 2022, the JBNU LINC 3.0 Project Group has been running the Support Program for Certification of Outstanding Technology Development Products. The program provides tailored technology development and consulting to help small and strong enterprises acquire various certifications that distinguish their technology-development products in the public procurement market.

The program is a differentiated industry–university collaboration initiative unique to JBNU that supports JBNU professors to act as on-site ombudsmen who identify and resolve companies' difficulties. Professors participate in the full process, including company visits, on-site consulting, and tailored technology development.

Through technical support and certification-acquisition consulting for Company C in Gimje, North Jeolla Province, the JBNU LINC 3.0 Project Group helped the company obtain green certification. As a result, the company's public procurement rate rose by 18%, and sales increased by KRW 4 billion.

In addition, JBNU is the only university in the region capable of directly supporting acquisition of New Excellent Technology (NET) and New Excellent Product (NEP) certifications. The university identifies companies seeking certification and provides consulting through the actual processes required for certification—establishing test standards, preparing application documents, and preparing for presentation evaluations—and supports initial public procurement channels after certification is obtained.

Song Cheol-gyu, Executive Vice-President of Research at JBNU and Director of the LINC 3.0 Project Group, said, "This award signifies a mandate for the university to do its utmost to identify and resolve unreasonable regulations that hinder industrial convergence and the on-site difficulties faced by companies, and to build a foundation for mutual prosperity among the university, the region, and businesses."