Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) held the 'THE JBNU RISE⁺ Achievement Forum' on the 20th with university and regional stakeholders in attendance, and shared the core outcomes of the Regional Innovation-Centered University Support System (RISE) project carried out over the past year.

This forum was organized to report the first-year outcomes of the 33 RISE projects that JBNU is conducting under the vision of being "a flagship university leading Jeonbuk's sustainable recovery, development and take‑off," and to discuss future directions for building a local government–industry–academia–research cooperation ecosystem.

At the event, exemplary cases established during the introductory phase in key areas were highlighted. ▲ Workforce development, including tailored training for life and transition industries and integrated care; ▲ Research cluster development, such as foodtech and digital fashion convergence research; ▲ Regional cooperation and innovation, including building archives to record the region's memory — these major outcomes were presented in succession and attracted attendees' attention.

In particular, the JBNU RISE Project Group achieved tangible results in supporting companies. Through the 'Certification Support Program,' it provided close assistance for domestic and foreign companies to obtain the essential certifications needed to develop domestic and international markets. In January, JBNU also established a university pavilion at CES 2026, the world's largest IT and consumer electronics exhibition, showcasing the university's innovative technologies to the global market and drawing interest.

Exhibition panels summarizing the outcomes of the 33 RISE projects that JBNU is undertaking were also installed in the lobby. Officials from local governments and related agencies who attended the forum viewed the exhibits to examine the university's research capabilities and the results generated through their connection with regional industry, and used the time to explore cooperation measures.

Son Jeong-min, Director of the JBNU RISE Project Group, said, "The past year has been a time to lay the foundation for regional innovation, including restructuring academic programs linked to eight core life and transition industries and advancing into global markets. In the second year, we will focus more on company-linked product development and addressing regional issues to complete a sustainable region‑specialized model."

President Yang O-bong emphasized the partnership between the region and the university, saying, "JBNU will take the lead in creating a sustainable future ecosystem for Jeonbuk by linking excellent human and material resources with regional industry."

Meanwhile, based on the various opinions presented at the forum and the outcomes of the 33 projects, JBNU plans to accelerate the second year of the project to establish a region‑specialized ecosystem.