JBNU Industry–University Cooperation Project Group (Director: Professor Kook Kyung‑su) announced on the 23rd that it has been finally selected for the '2026 Jeonbuk Research and Development Special Zone Innopolis Campus Support Project'.

The Industry–University Cooperation Project Group, launched in 1996 as an R&D support organization under the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, has supported regional industrial development through continuous organizational expansion and functional enhancement.

In particular, since 2012 it has been consecutively selected as the lead institution for the Honam‑Jeju region under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' Small and Medium Enterprise Technology Development Support Project, taking the lead in providing technological support to SMEs. It is currently implementing the Field‑Customized Training Support Project for SME Research Personnel, contributing to strengthening SMEs' technological competitiveness and training specialized personnel.

The newly selected Innopolis Campus Regional Human Resource Development Project connects university and industry resources within the Jeonbuk R&D Special Zone to train practical personnel in regionally specialized industrial fields. It will receive project funding totaling KRW 200 million.

Through this project, JBNU plans to implement various programs for young people and incumbent workers in the province, including practical research personnel training in regional strategic industry fields; field‑customized internship programs linked to SMEs; shared use support for university research equipment; and job fairs linked to employment.

Through these efforts, it is expected to systematically train specialists that meet regional industrial demand, help alleviate SMEs' labor shortages, and enhance regional industrial competitiveness.

Director Kook Kyung‑su said, "Local SMEs need practice‑focused professional education that can be applied immediately on site, but opportunities that reflect the demand for the latest technologies are lacking. The Industry–University Cooperation Project Group will strengthen demand‑driven education and industry–university cooperation programs to create a sustainable industrial ecosystem in which regional talent and companies grow together."