On the 14th, Gyeongsangbuk-do announced at the provincial office that it has selected and awarded 10 promising local ventures and startups for the 2021 ‘Gyeongsangbuk-do Startup Innovation Award’ in recognition of their contributions to regional economic development.
The ‘Gyeongsangbuk-do Startup Innovation Award’ is given to companies that have achieved net profits and over 5% sales growth in the last two years, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. Eligible companies are those with excellent business growth in terms of technological development and export performance.
Each year, the selection process involves recommendations from local governments and related organizations, with quantitative evaluations based on sales growth rates, technological development achievements, and export ratios, combined with qualitative assessments from external expert judges.
Among the awardees, Robo-I (Pohang) has secured specialized service robot technology for specific purposes since its founding in 2019, thanks to government-supported R&D. The company has developed multifunctional diagnostic robots for water pipelines and inspection and polishing robots for energy pipes. It has established a close collaboration with the Korea Institute of Robot and Convergence Technology, the only specialized robotics production technology research institute in Korea, to secure key technologies for robot commercialization through technology transfer.
The company also executed the country’s first pilot project for cleaning metropolitan water supply pipes using robots, following a technology-sharing agreement with the Korea Water Resources Corporation.
Dongwoo Global (Gyeongsan) specializes in precision industrial machinery, equipment, and nano-filter manufacturing. They co-developed cleaning tools for MCT with Japan and supplied over 60 companies in Japan, including Toyota. They have significantly reduced defect rates caused by processing chips and are currently developing a transparent heating element product as part of a startup package at POSTECH’s AI Research Institute. They have also been selected as a Pre-Startup Company by Gyeongbuk Technopark.
Fusion ENC (Gumi) is a company focused on logistics robots for vehicles, continuously developing technologies in vehicle robotics (including public safety rescue robots, ball bots, and T/F Tire vehicles) and automation (automated equipment development, control systems, and industrial drones). They have registered and applied for patents on control methods for riding-type mobility devices using ball bots and all-directional transport robots equipped with lifts through strategic partnerships with major corporations and national research institutions (such as POSCO, KAIST, the Robot Convergence Research Institute, and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute).
Quanta Materials (Andong) has commercialized oxide semiconductors for displays and oxide nano-powders (gallium oxide, tin oxide, indium oxide) for power semiconductors in electric vehicles. Through continuous R&D, they are growing into a global innovative company in advanced materials, achieving a 59% increase in sales compared to 2019. They are also steadily growing through various national R&D projects, including the “First Step Technology Development Project” and the “Startup Growth Technology Development Project.”
Additionally, Geumdong Energy Co., Ltd. (Chilgok), Ilrak (Gumi), DHTech (Gumi), Geonil Industry (Gumi), K-Tech (Yeongcheon), and INT (Gumi) also received awards.
Award-winning companies will benefit from preferential support for venture business funding (300 million KRW), prioritized R&D support, participation in international fairs, and other various support measures. They will also be recommended as excellent companies for the venture fund (80 billion KRW) managed by Gyeongsangbuk-do.
Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongsangbuk-do expressed gratitude, stating, “This year, I am especially thankful to the local startups that have worked hard to enhance corporate competitiveness and contribute to regional economic development. Even in challenging times, it is ventures and startups that can play a key role in revitalizing the local economy. We will continue to support efforts to create a better environment for businesses in the future.”

Company Name : quantamaterials
Name : KIM SUGYEONG
Phone :82+053-853-6987
Email : [email protected]
Websit : http://www.quantamaterials.com/
Address : Gyeongdong-ro, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea