Hwang Soo-jin wins COMPA (Commercializations Promotion Agency for R&D Outcomes) Director’s Award at ‘Lab Start-Up 2024’
- Date2024.03.06
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At the “Lab Start-Up 2024 (so-called ‘Lab Start-Up Festival’)” held on January 31st (Wednesday), Hwang Soo-jin (Department of Chemistry & Nanoscience, graduated in ’23) won the grand prize in the Senior Team Division of the IR Contest (COMPA Director’s Award).
The “Lab Start-Up Festival” is an event hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, and organized by COMPA and KOEF (Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation). It is to share the results of the new start-up teams’ preparatory activities over the past year with the citizens and evaluate their outstanding entrepreneurial achievements. This year’s event, themed “Science and Technology Becoming the Leading Role in Start-Ups,” was successfully held with around 500 participants including 165 start-up teams from 40 universities, investment experts such as venture capitalists (VCs) and accelerators, business-related officials, institutional representatives, and others.
“Lab-to-market support program based on public technology” utilizes the U.S. NSF’s “I-Corps program” to support the individuals and teams who attempt to start a new start-up based on basic and foundational research results from universities and research institutions, through validity verification and optimization of start-up items. EWHA start-up support group provides systematic programs such as prototype production, and female start-up networks, as well as investments and follow-up support so that entrepreneurs can commercialize lab-developed public technologies backed by lab-to-market support programs.
Hwang Soo-jin embarked on setting up a lab start-up with the support of the program in 2022, established “EPLE” in June last year, developing eco-friendly technology for rust and scale removal, as well as technology for fine dust suppressants. EPLE’s technology, in the water sector, can directly remove rust and scale by using carbon dioxide, and also has an edge over other technologies in terms of safety and efficiency. This technology has completed the patent application and safety certification, and it is also well-recognized for its capabilities through various business selections including the 2023 Pre-Startup Package and the 2023 KDB Startup Selection.
During the acceptance speech, Hwang said, “I hope my company can exert a positive influence on our society through essential technologies that address water and fine dust issues, and promote coexistence of the environment and humanity.”
Meanwhile, as part of the Women’s Specialized Lab Start-Up Innovation Support Project, the EWHA start-up support group is now recruiting candidate teams for Lab Start-Up 2024 until April 3rd. Lab start-up teams will receive various support such as consulting on technology and ways to start a new business, as well as R&D funds (up to 30 million won).