Korea SMEs and Startups Agency Holds Networking Day for Leap Program Participants

Scaling Up to Mid-Sized Enterprises and Strengthening CEO Competencies Facilitating Exchange Among Participating Companies and Incorporating On-Site Feedback

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency announced on June 12 that they held a Networking Day for companies newly participating in the comprehensive growth program “Leap,” which is aimed at promising mid-sized enterprises with more than seven years in operation.

On the 11th, participants of the Leap Program Networking Day held at the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency Gangwon Training Center in Taebaek, Gangwon Province, are taking a commemorative photo. Korea SMEs and Startups Agency

The Leap Program is a comprehensive growth initiative that supports promising mid-sized businesses with more than seven years of history through three years of expert guidance, commercialization funding, networking, and policy linkage. The program, which was first introduced last year to foster growth into larger enterprises by supporting expansion into new businesses and markets, selected 100 new participating companies for its second cohort this year.

The event, held at the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency Gangwon Training Center, was designed to hear about common challenges companies face during new business launches and scaling up, in order to further advance their businesses and strengthen the foundation for collaboration among participating companies. Around 80 people attended the event, including representatives and executives of newly selected second-cohort companies, Kwon Soonjae, Director of Regional Corporate Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Ban Jeongsik, Director of Regional Innovation at the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, and officials from related ministries and organizations.

On the first day, the program offered various sessions essential for mid-sized company growth and core competency development, including an explanation of the 2026 Leap Program operation plan; a session to gather company feedback for business advancement; sharing of best practices from the first cohort (by Kim Sangbaek, CEO of Inscape); a special lecture by a successful entrepreneur (Donghan Yoon, Chairman of Kolmar Korea); and a special leadership lecture (Professor Jeong Dongil of Yonsei University). On the second day, participants strengthened their ties through a trek to the source of the Han River (Geomryongso), known as the starting point of Korean peninsula history.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency plan to incorporate the on-site feedback collected at this event into the expansion and restructuring of the Leap (Jump-up) Program, and to analyze growth barriers by sales range to further tailor their support. The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency will also continue to run exchange programs to strengthen support for participating companies, including policy linkage and consulting with related organizations, as well as operating regional councils for participating companies by area.

Ban Jeongsik, Director of Regional Innovation at the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, stated, "This networking day marks the starting point where newly participating second-cohort companies gather in one place to share their growth vision and directly reflect voices from the field in policy. Based on company feedback, we will further enhance our support system for the Leap Program, and actively help participating companies grow into mid-sized enterprises representing their regions."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.