Sejong University Tops South Korea’s Tech Transfer Income with Record $12.5 Million!

Sejong University has claimed the top spot for technology transfer income among South Korean universities in 2024, raking in a whopping 17.37 billion KRW (12.5 million USD).

The Seoul-based institution outpaced its rivals, with Kyung Hee University trailing at 9.7 billion KRW (7.28 million USD), followed by KAIST at 8.1 billion KRW (6.08 million USD), Seoul National University at 6.4 billion KRW (4.8 million USD), and Sungkyunkwan University at 4.3 billion KRW (3.23 million USD).

This impressive figure marks the second-highest in Korean history, surpassed only by Hanyang University’s 27.9 billion KRW (20.93 million USD) in 2022. It represents a remarkable leap from the mere hundreds of millions of won recorded a decade ago, university officials noted.

University technology transfer is the process of moving scientific breakthroughs and innovations from academic labs into the public and private sectors, often spawning new products, services, and businesses.

Sejong’s success can be attributed to its long-term commitment to structured innovation through the Education Ministry’s Bridge program, which facilitates the commercialization of university intellectual property. The institution has cultivated high-value, mature technologies by providing tailored support across the entire research, development, and startup ecosystem.

A standout achievement has been the diversification of standard essential patent royalties, particularly in video codec technologies. Since joining global patent pools for cutting-edge video compression standards like HEVC, VVC, AV1, and VP9, Sejong University has secured royalties amounting to hundreds of billions of KRW.

\”Through our specialized technology commercialization unit, Sejong University has been pursuing demand-driven, high-value tech transfers that align with our institutional strengths,\” said Um Jong-hwa, president of Sejong University.

\”This accomplishment underscores our commitment to fulfilling the university’s social responsibility by channeling our exceptional research outcomes back into society and bolstering national competitiveness,\” Um added.