Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Startup Support Center is recruiting (pre-)startup companies to participate in the '2026 University Startup Support Project' to discover regionally based innovative start-ups and revitalize a technology-based start-up ecosystem.

The 'University Startup Support Project,' led by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Startup Agency, is a core startup cultivation platform that leverages a university's top-level human and physical infrastructure and dedicated start-up support capabilities to drive the growth and commercialization of promising start-ups.

The recruitment targets prospective founders with excellent start-up ideas up to start-ups within seven years of establishment. Selected companies will receive a range of support programs to facilitate tangible advancement, including early-stage commercialization funding; entrepreneurship education, intensive mentoring, connections to investors, and market development tailored to each company's needs and stage of growth.

The JBNU Startup Support Center plans to increase the market survival rate and commercialization success of technology-based start-ups through detailed, tailored support for each company. In particular, it will actively connect research outcomes and a robust Industry–University Collaboration network in advanced fields where the university has strengths—functional foods, biotechnology, renewable energy, and smart manufacturing—to further strengthen support for technological advancement and investment linkage for start-ups.

Prospective (pre-)startup companies wishing to participate may apply online via the K-Startup website by 4:00 PM on March 23, 2026. After the application deadline, document screening and presentation evaluations will be conducted, and the final selected companies will be confirmed in May 2026. Formal project agreements and support will be provided from May through December 2026, for approximately eight months.

Guk Gyeong-su, Director of the JBNU Startup Support Center, said, 'The University Startup Support Project is an important startup support platform through which the university and the region jointly discover and nurture start-ups. We hope that prospective founders and start-up companies with innovative ideas and technologies will actively participate and use this opportunity to grow together with the region.'