11 Universities Forge Supra-Regional Cooperation Ecosystem to Foster Balanced Development

Eleven universities across South Korea are launching a nationwide initiative to build a supra-regional industry-academia-research cooperation ecosystem. This move aims to foster balanced regional development by connecting universities, businesses, and research institutions. The collaboration signifies a shift from individual university or regional achievements to a nationwide network for industry-academia-research partnerships.

The initiative was formalized on June 26 in Busan during the '2026 PHM KOREA Supra-regional ANCHOR Networking Festival.' Here, representatives from the participating universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 'Supra-regional Anchor-based Exchange and Diffusion.' This agreement marks a significant step in creating a unified ecosystem that transcends traditional regional boundaries.

The participating institutions include prominent universities from the Seoul metropolitan area, such as Kookmin University, Dongguk University, Hanyang University, and Hongik University. They are joined by major regional universities like Pusan National University, National Korea Maritime and Ocean University, University of Ulsan, Dongmyung University, National Kumoh Institute of Technology, National Kongju University, and Chosun University. These institutions plan to collaborate on joint educational programs and industry-academia joint research projects, aiming to create a robust network for innovation and development.