Korea Institute of Energy Research (president Gwak Byong-sung) held ‘Energy-IOT Smart Farm Technology Session’ at Sejong Dure Agriculture Town located in Yeondong-myeon, Sejong city on November 16. The event was held to introduce the outcome of technology development from 「Project of Strengthening Innovative Capacity of Local Enterprises」, which was performed jointly with Sejong Center for Creative Economy & Innovation and sponsored by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development, and to support for launching startups and technology commercialization by smaller businesses.

Especially, this event attracted attention because it set the stage for communication between businesses having trouble in commercialization of technology to seek for breakthrough through consultation for transfer of demonstration technology and customized technical consulting for related companies.

Dr. Im Yong-hoon, the principal researcher of KIER, said “Changes of the environment in the agriculture and energy sector due to climate change, will lead to new sustainable business models”, and “it is expected that existing smart farm business model of individual greenhouse unit will evolve into the dissemination of 「Smart Farm Network Business Model」 combining energy network technology and smart farm technology, and a new type of urban business models such as building farm and city farm not limited to farming area.

In the future, KIER and Sejong Center for Creative Economy and Innovation will promote the technology shown in the demonstration positively to launch startups and transfer the technology, and at the same time, they will make a greater effort to nurture startups in engergy-IOT smart farm sector and to support commercialization by promoting following businesses continuously.