Gyeongbuk Creative Economy Innovation Center

What Gyeongbuk Creative Economy Innovation Center does

Gyeongbuk Creative Economy Innovation Center (경북창조경제혁신센터) is a regional node of South Korea's nationwide Creative Economy Innovation Center (CCEI) network, a government-supported startup incubation initiative operating under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (중소벤처기업부) and administered by the Korean Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (창업진흥원, Kised). Founded in 2013 as part of a 19-center national rollout, the Gyeongbuk unit focuses on fostering innovation and supporting startups within Gyeongbuk province, including Andong, Pohang, and Gumi. Its core mission is to provide free access to demonstration infrastructure, mentorship, education, and market-entry support to early-stage technology companies. The center is headquartered in Andong and maintains a localized digital presence alongside the shared national CCEI platform.

The CCEI platform, operated by SolidNG and maintained by Vivid Global, delivers a unified multi-service portal offering online and offline counseling, education applications, business program applications, incubation space rental, specialized facility and equipment reservation, investment matching (CCEI Investment), an Idea Power Station for idea submissions, and a content library (Video Hall, Promotion Hall). Authentication is integrated with Naver and Kakao SSO, and the platform links out to the broader government startup ecosystem at Startbiz.go.kr and K-Startup.go.kr. In October 2024, the center formalized a flagship partnership with K-water (Korea Water Resources Corporation) to operate the Gyeongbuk Open Innovation Startup Support Project, providing startups with access to public-sector testbed environments and joint R&D opportunities, beginning with an AI-based water purification technology demonstration.

The center's business model is non-commercial: all services are provided free of charge to entrepreneurs and startups, with operating costs funded through Korean government appropriations channeled via Kised. Revenue, headcount, and leadership data are not publicly disclosed. The Gyeongbuk unit has no independent pricing structure, no private equity backing, and no for-profit subsidiaries; it operates as a regional market entity wholly owned and supervised within the public CCEI network. The K-water partnership represents the first formal tripartite model in which public corporations, the center, and regional startups jointly execute technology demonstration projects under a shared open innovation program.

Name

Gyeongbuk Creative Economy Innovation Center

Legal name

Creative Economy Innovation Center (창조경제혁신센터)

Website

https://ccei.creativekorea.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Gyeongbuk Creative Economy Innovation Center is a government-funded regional startup incubator in South Korea's nationwide 19-center CCEI network, providing free counseling, education, space/equipment rental, and investment matching to Gyeongbuk-province entrepreneurs under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubation Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Venture Creation Centers (EDAHAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM), Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Startup incubation services
• Government innovation programs
• Entrepreneurship education training
• Technology demonstration testbeds
• Venture investment matching

Headquarters

HQ city

Andong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Gyeongbuk Creative Economy Innovation Center operates as a government-funded startup incubation hub providing entrepreneurs and early-stage companies with online and offline counseling, entrepreneurship education program registration, application portals for business/incubation support programs, co-working space rental, facility and equipment rental, investment matching through CCEI Investment, and an idea submission platform (Idea Power Station). All services are delivered free of charge through both a unified online portal and direct service at regional offices across South Korea, with a specific focus on supporting startups in Gyeongbuk province and the climate tech sector.

Product overview

Gyeongbuk Creative Economy Innovation Center (CCEI) operates as a government-supported startup ecosystem platform with 19 regional centers across South Korea, offering a unified multi-service portal. The platform integrates online and offline counseling services, education and business program applications, space and equipment rental facilities, investment matching services, and content resources (video hall, promotion hall). The core offering is a comprehensive startup support ecosystem combining idea development (Idea Power Station), mentorship access, facility utilization, and business development programs across all regional CCEI branches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CCEI Investment: Investment function under Creative Economy Innovation Center for supporting startup companies

Products and services

• Online Counseling Web-based consultation service allowing entrepreneurs to submit inquiries and receive guidance from CCEI counselors remotely.
• Offline Counseling In-person consultation service with scheduled appointments for face-to-face business counseling and mentorship sessions.
• Education Application Application portal for entrepreneurship education programs, workshops, and training courses offered by CCEI centers.
• Business Application Application portal for startup support programs, incubation projects, and business development initiatives.
• Space Rental Incubation space rental service providing co-working desks, offices, and meeting rooms for registered startups.
• Facility and Equipment Rental Reservation system for specialized facilities, laboratory equipment, and prototyping tools available at CCEI centers.
• CCEI Investment Investment matching service connecting promising startups with venture capital and investment opportunities.
• Video Hall Video library containing educational content including lectures, company visit recordings, center introductions, and success story videos.
• Promotion Hall Public showcase platform featuring related articles, startup success stories, and best practice examples.
• Idea Power Station Creative idea submission platform where entrepreneurs can propose business ideas and receive feedback from mentors.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• K-water (Korea Water Resources Corporation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2024K-water signed a business agreement with the Gyeongbuk Creative Economy Innovation Center on October 4th in Gumi, Gyeongbuk to establish an open innovation program connecting public and private demonstration infrastructure to verify startup technologies and support market entry. As the first step, the two organizations will enter a tripartite agreement involving Gyeongbuk region startups to demonstrate AI-based particle aggregation analysis technology for water purification process stability, with K-water providing actual testbed environments and the center covering project costs. Both parties plan to jointly operate the Gyeongbuk Open Innovation Startup Support Project to nurture promising companies in the climate tech sector.

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SparkLabs: One of Korea's most prominent private accelerators running seed programs and the SparkLabs Culturally Innovative Team initiative. Directly competes with Gyeongbuk CCEI for Korean founders, but offers equity investment and global network access rather than free government services.
• Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (Kised): Parent organization of Gyeongbuk CCEI and operator of the entire 19-center CCEI network. Kised runs national startup education, investment, and incubation programs and is the closest functional peer — essentially the central body of which Gyeongbuk CCEI is a regional unit.
• D.CAMP (Dooobank CAMP): Bank-backed (DGB Daegu Bank) startup hub in Daegu providing incubation, programs, and investor networks. Closely comparable as a regionally anchored Korean innovation hub serving founders with facilities, education, and capital introductions.

Broad incumbents

• Korea Venture Investment Corp (KVIC): Government-affiliated fund-of-funds and venture capital program under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. KVIC is a comparable public-sector capital deployment peer to CCEI Investment, both channeling government-aligned capital into Korean startups.
• Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME): Government-affiliated agency under the same Ministry of SMEs and Startups that runs nationwide SME policy programs, financing, and incubation support. KOSME is a direct broader-incumbent peer operating many of the same policy-aligned startup support functions as Gyeongbuk CCEI but at greater national scale.
• TIPS (Tips for Innovative Startups Program): Korean government program operated via K-Startup that provides matching investment to startup-focused private investors. Overlaps with Gyeongbuk CCEI's mandate of supporting innovative startups but is structured as an investment-matching scheme rather than a regional incubator.

Emerging players

• Naver D2 Startup Factory (D2SF): Corporate accelerator run by Naver, targeting early-stage Korean startups with investment and platform integrations. Comparable in that it provides structured startup support plus capital, but operates as a corporate program rather than a public-sector initiative.
• Kakao Ventures: Corporate venture arm of Kakao running accelerator-style programs for Korean early-stage startups. Comparable as a structured startup-support + capital vehicle but driven by a single corporate parent's strategic interests.

Regional players

• Ideas Worth Investing (IWI) / Seongnam Startup Campus: Other regional Korean startup support organizations backed by local/municipal governments and ministries. Comparable as a regional Korean government-backed innovation hub, though focused on different provinces (e.g., Gyeonggi) than Gyeongbuk.
• Fast Track Asia: Pan-Asian accelerator program based in Singapore and active across Asia. Comparable as an accelerator providing structured programs and investor access, but operates across multiple Asian markets rather than as a regional Korean government initiative.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gyeongbuk.ccei
• Instagraminstagram.com/bccei

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gyeongbuk Creative Economy Innovation Center