What Dongguk University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation does

Dongguk University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation is a non-profit industry-academic cooperation foundation legally embedded within Dongguk University, a private Buddhist university in South Korea, operating from its WISE Campus in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do. It functions as the regulated conduit for managing government-funded R&D programs across multiple Korean ministries (MSIT, MOE, MOTIE, NRF, KIAT, KETEP) and delivers an integrated service portfolio organized around five pillars: (1) research project support including ethics review (IRB/IACUC) and student labor fund management; (2) technology transfer and commercialization covering IP, patent filing, and duty invention systems; (3) venture startup incubation with physical facilities and business support; (4) youth entrepreneurship education via modular courses and startup-friendly academic policies; and (5) a shared collaboration platform (LINCWISE) for industry-academia knowledge exchange. It also operates specialized business units including SMR Human Resources Training, Local Doctor Training, GTEP (Global Trade Expert Incubating Program in partnership with KITA across 20 universities), the APEC 2025 KOREA Global Supporters unit, and the RISE regional innovation program.

The foundation monetizes primarily through managed government R&D funds, technology licensing and royalties from university-developed IP, professional services for startup incubation, and unit-based pricing for conference room rentals (50,000-200,000 KRW depending on tenant type and duration). Distribution is direct: a single domestic channel via university operations in Gyeongju, supplemented by partnerships and MOUs. Co-authored research outputs in 2026 include a tungsten-anchored all-solid-state battery with 2.7x ionic conductivity improvement (Advanced Energy Materials, with KAIST, Yonsei, Chungbuk National University) and a bipolar self-assembled monolayer material for bifunctional organic photovoltaics and photodetectors (with Korea University). Customer segments span internal Dongguk University researchers and students (primary), regional SMEs across sports, health, and export sectors, and public institutions including Gyeongju City and KB Financial Group.

Name

Dongguk University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation

Legal name

Dongguk University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation (동국대학교 WISE캠퍼스 산학협력단)

Website

https://iacf.dongguk.ac.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Dongguk University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation is a non-profit foundation at Dongguk University's WISE Campus in Gyeongju, South Korea, managing government-funded R&D, technology transfer, startup incubation, and youth entrepreneurship programs for university researchers, regional SMEs, and public institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry-Academic Research Cooperation Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Patent Owners & Lessors (6794), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology Transfer & Innovation-Driven Research Universities (High Commercialization) (EDAHABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH), Technical Universities with Strong Industry Partnerships (EDAHAEAG), Corporate & Foundation Relations (Sponsorships, Grants, Partnerships) (EDALAOAE)

Keywords

• Research project management
• Technology transfer services
• Startup incubation programs
• Industry-academic collaboration
• Entrepreneurship education

Headquarters

HQ city

Gyeongju

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding Management: Manages government R&D project funds including national research development projects, large-scale national project acquisition support, and student labor cost integration management. Budget documents show annual cash budgets ranging from approximately 180,000 KRW to 203,000 KRW.
2. Technology Transfer and Commercialization: Technology transfer services including intellectual property management, patent applications, and commercialization support for university-developed technologies.
3. Startup Incubation Services: Venture business incubation and startup education programs providing office space rental, mentorship, and business development support.
4. Conference Room Rental: Rental income from meeting rooms in the Industry-Academic Cooperation Building. External companies: 50,000 KRW (2hr), 200,000 KRW (full day); Resident companies/university events: 25,000 KRW (2hr), 100,000 KRW (full day)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The foundation operates as Dongguk University's central industry-academic cooperation body, providing research project management (including government R&D fund administration, research ethics review, and student labor fund management), technology transfer and commercialization services (intellectual property management, patent filing, and duty invention systems), venture startup incubation (office space and business support), youth entrepreneurship education (modular courses and startup-friendly academic policies), and an online shared collaboration platform (LINCWISE) connecting university researchers with industry partners. Its primary customers are university faculty/researchers, SMEs seeking technology partnerships, and government/public institutions engaged in regional development programs.

Product overview

Dongguk University WISE Campus Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation operates as a comprehensive university technology transfer and research support organization. The foundation provides an integrated service portfolio centered on five core areas: (1) Research Project Support Services for managing government-funded research including ethics review and student labor fund administration; (2) Technology Transfer and Commercialization covering intellectual property management, patent filing, and duty invention systems; (3) Venture Startup Incubation providing physical facilities and business support for emerging companies; (4) Youth Entrepreneurship Education with modular courses and startup-friendly academic policies; and (5) a Shared Collaboration Platform (LINCWISE) for industry-academia knowledge exchange. These services are designed to bridge academic research outcomes with commercial applications and regional economic development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SMR인력양성사업단 (SMR Human Resources Training Unit): Small Modular Reactor (SMR) human resources training program unit
• 지역의사양성사업단 (Local Doctor Training Unit)
• GTEP사업단 (GTEP Business Unit)
• 경주APEC글로벌서포터즈사업단 (Gyeongju APEC Global Supporters Unit)
• RISE 사업 (Regional Innovation-centered University Support System)

Products and services

• Research Project Support Services End-to-end administrative and compliance support for university research projects, including project management, research asset management, research ethics review, public tender preparation funding, and integration of student labor costs into research budgets. Target users: Dongguk University principal investigators, research institutes, and graduate students.
• Technology Transfer and Commercialization Service Service for transferring university-developed technologies to industry partners, handling IP rights management, patent application procedures, duty invention registration, and management of university family companies. Target users: faculty inventors, partner companies, and university spinoffs.
• Venture Startup Incubation Incubation program offering office space, application procedures, company status management, and business development support for technology-based startups. Target users: early-stage technology startups and venture teams.
• Youth Entrepreneurship Education Program Entrepreneurship education program for university students featuring modular curriculum, startup substitute credits, startup-friendly leave of absence policies, and startup programs. Target users: Dongguk University students interested in entrepreneurship.
• LINCWISE Shared Collaboration Platform Online industry-academic collaboration platform enabling knowledge sharing, information exchange, and project coordination among university researchers, partner companies, and external collaborators. Target users: university researchers and industry partner organizations.
• Conference Room Rental Rental of meeting and conference rooms in the Industry-Academic Cooperation Building, including AV equipment. External companies: 50,000 KRW/2hr, 200,000 KRW full day. Resident companies/university events: 25,000 KRW/2hr, 100,000 KRW full day. Target users: external companies, resident companies, and university event organizers.

Quantifiable outcome

• KM utilization associated with reduced all-cause mortality (HR 0.93, p=0.048) in elderly population study
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026Collaborative research on all-solid-state battery technology. The team used tungsten-based oxygen anchoring technique to address moisture sensitivity and improve ionic conductivity in halide-based solid electrolytes. Published in Advanced Energy Materials.
• Yonsei UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026Joint development of universal design principle for all-solid-state batteries addressing moisture sensitivity and ionic conductivity challenges in halide-based solid electrolytes.
• Chungbuk National UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2026Collaborative research contributing to breakthrough in all-solid-state battery technology using tungsten-based oxygen anchoring technique.
• Korea UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2026Joint development of BPA (bipolar self-assembled monolayer) material for bifunctional organic photovoltaic and photodetector devices. Technology enables energy harvesting and sensing for IoT sensors, wearables, and indoor surfaces.
• Super Save (슈퍼세이브)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 May 2025E-commerce based overseas market expansion MOU. GTEP unit provides full-range support including market research, competitive analysis, price strategy, localization, online advertising, and sales data analysis for health food products targeting Japan and other overseas markets.
• Ulsan Dongbu Credit Union (울산동부신용협동조합)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2025Customized education partnership for employee development. Provides graduate program access (Buddhist Cultural, Social Sciences, Business Administration graduate schools) with 50-60% scholarships for 5 semesters. Joint special lectures and academic exchange programs.
• Gyeongju CitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Carbon Neutrality Support Center partnership and APEC 2025 KOREA Global Supporters program. Regional development collaboration including RISE (Regional Innovation Center) project sponsored by KB Financial Group.
• S-Build Co., Ltd. (에스빌드)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2025Sports science industry-academic cooperation MOU including entrepreneurship lecture, scholarship fund donation, and ongoing expert lectures and programs. Company specializes in sports facility management and eco-friendly technology.
• Gyeongju Carbon Neutrality Support CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for carbon neutrality leadership city activation in Gyeongju through MOU signing and commemorative ceremony.
• Korea International Trade AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGTEP (Global Trade Expert Incubating Program) operator. Trade specialist training program with 20 participating universities. Provides e-commerce, exhibition marketing, and export practice education.
• Korean Nuclear SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMR Human Resources Training unit participation in 2025 Fall Academic Conference and 58th Regular General Meeting at Changwon Convention Center. Technical workshops on reactor design, decommissioning technology, and AI-based nuclear plant operation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seoul National University Industry Foundation: Korea's largest university industry-academic cooperation foundation under Seoul National University, providing the same core services of research fund management, technology transfer, startup incubation, and IP commercialization. Directly comparable mandate and revenue model.
• KAIST Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology's foundation manages the same portfolio of research administration, technology licensing, and startup incubation. Directly comparable as a science/tech-focused university foundation, and an active research partner of Dongguk.
• POSTECH Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation: Pohang University of Science and Technology's foundation operates research project management, IP commercialization, and venture incubation services — directly comparable scope and STEM orientation to Dongguk's WISE Campus foundation.
• Yonsei University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation: Yonsei's foundation provides the same integrated industry-academic cooperation services for a major private Korean research university. Directly comparable as a peer private university foundation and an active research collaborator on Dongguk's solid-state battery program.
• Korea University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation: Korea University's foundation offers comparable research administration, technology transfer, and startup incubation services. An active joint research partner with Dongguk on the BPA photovoltaic material breakthrough.
• Sungkyunkwan University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation: SKKU's foundation delivers the same portfolio of government research fund management, IP commercialization, and venture incubation for a major private Korean university. Direct peer by structure, scale, and service mix.
• Hanyang University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation: Hanyang's foundation operates research project administration, patent management, and startup incubation programs with comparable scale and scope. A direct private-university industry-academic cooperation peer.
• Chungbuk National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation: Public regional research university's foundation offering the same research administration, technology transfer, and incubation services. A direct peer and an active research collaborator on Dongguk's solid-state battery program.

Broad incumbents

• Korea Industrial Technology Foundation (KIAT): Government-affiliated national foundation under MOTIE that supports industrial technology development across Korean universities and SMEs. Operates at a national scale rather than a single-university basis, but provides overlapping commercialization and SME-industry bridging services.

Regional players

• Gyeongju Hi-Tech Valley Foundation: Regional innovation foundation operating in Gyeongju with overlapping focus on local SME support, technology commercialization, and industry-academic collaboration. A regional peer sharing the same geographic catchment and SME-targeting mandate.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Dongguk University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation