Gangwon Named Korea's 6th R&D Special Zone to Boost Bio, Digital Health and Semiconductor Materials
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
The South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT has designated Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province as the country's sixth research and development (R&D) special zone, the first new designation in 10 years since Jeonbuk in 2015. The Gangwon R&D zone will focus on three specialized industries: bio-based new materials in Chuncheon, digital healthcare in Wonju, and semiconductor (sensor) materials and components in Gangneung. The designation followed a nine-month review by an 11-member task force and builds on the province’s cluster of 182 research institutes, including government-funded labs and universities. The government plans to support the zone with funding for R&BD (research and business development), technology transfer and startup support, tax incentives and regulatory sandbox (실증특례) measures to accelerate commercialization. Gangwon aims to attract about 500 companies, increase sales by roughly KRW 4.2 trillion, and create 7,800 jobs by 2030, while exploring additional growth areas tied to local characteristics such as disaster-response drones.
