Incheon National University Songdo Campus

- Two cases simultaneously selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT's 'New Technology Demonstration Special Exception'... A first and largest-scale achievement in the nation.

- Overcoming the wall of regulations, Incheon Gangso Special Zone leads the circular economy and bio-innovation.
- Director Lee Hee-kwan: "Strengthening Incheon's status as an outpost for the commercialization of environmental and bio-convergence technology."

The Incheon Gangso R&D Special Zone Project Group (hereafter Incheon Gangso Special Zone) has become a stage for innovation, set to open a new future for the eco-friendly bio-industry alongside local innovative companies.

Two consortiums, composed of companies from the Incheon Gangso Special Zone, have been simultaneously selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT's 'R&D Special Zone New Technology Demonstration Special Exception' project, with support from Incheon Metropolitan City, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Korea Conformity Laboratories (KCL). The demonstration will be conducted at the Incheon Gangso Special Zone (Incheon National University) for the next two years.

This achievement is highly significant as it allows technologies, previously difficult to commercialize due to existing regulations, to verify their effectiveness in a real-world environment through the role and cooperation of the Incheon Gangso Special Zone Project Group. It not only accelerates the move towards carbon neutrality and a circular economy but also lays the groundwork for institutional improvement.

These demonstration special exceptions will be led by two consortiums based in the Incheon Gangso Special Zone.

These consortiums will tackle the issue of an unclear classification and recycling system for biodegradable plastics, a problem stemming from deficiencies in the current 「Waste Management Act」, through this special exception. Going beyond technological verification, they are expected to lead Incheon's future bio-industry and present the foundational data needed to establish global standards for national institutional improvements.

Lee Hee-kwan, Director of the Incheon Gangso R&D Special Zone Project Group (and a professor at INU's Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering), emphasized, "This achievement shows that the Incheon Gangso Special Zone is not just a regional R&D hub, but a laboratory and an outpost leading global environmental and bio-regulatory innovation." He added, "We will strive to institutionalize the innovative outcomes created by the companies and researchers of the Incheon Gangso Special Zone and disseminate them to the global market, serving as a catalyst for the global circular economy."

The Incheon Gangso R&D Special Zone Project Group plans to continue its cooperation with the Korea Conformity Laboratories (KCL) to lead the realization of a future-oriented circular economy by expanding the regulatory sandbox system, attracting R&D investment in eco-friendly bio-technology, and supporting corporate commercialization and market entry.