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To Set up K-Startup Bases in Startup Stronghold Countries of Finland and Sweden

Division
Internation Cooperation Division
Date
2019.06.11
Writer
박강범
Headline
-Pursuing the establishment of Korea Startup Centers to exchange with local startups and venture capital.
-Signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sweden and Finland and devised collaboration with Aalto University, the heart of Finland’s startup ecosystem.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups signed an MOU on June 10 with the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy as part of President Moon Jae-in’s visit to the three Northern European countries. The MOU, including the cooperation in installing the Korea Startup Center (KSC) in Finland, was signed in the presence of the heads of state of both Korea and Finland after their summit meeting.
On June 15, Moon will visit Sweden and sign a similar MOU with the Swedish Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation.
The KSCs to be established in Northern Europe will function as bases for the global advancement of K-Startups and venture capital following the MOU signed with India (New Delhi) for the same purpose last year and United States (Seattle), where the KSC is expected to open in August this year.
The current MOU includes details for information exchanges between the startup ecosystems of both countries and competency reinforcement in addition to the establishment of the KSC. The MOU is forecast to build bilateral cooperative relations and expedite the advancement of Korean startups into Northern Europe.
In particular, as the KSC will be created as a base for the advancement of Korean startups into Northern Europe, it will be a shared office space for providing various networking programs and holding investor relations (IR) events. It will not only provide a forum for communication and exchanges with local startups and investors but also function as an innovative overseas base that promotes open innovation with large global enterprises.
The first KSC is expected to open in Seattle, United States, during the second half of this year (end of August) followed by another in Gurgaon, India, in September. In Finland and Sweden, which are central startup countries of Europe, the KSCs will be established in 2020 to support the global advancement of Korean startups.