Korea’s Ministry of Education Announces 2025 Industry-Academia Cooperation Awards

The Ministry of Education and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced the selection of 50 companies for the "2025 Outstanding Industry-Academic Cooperation Company" award. This year's recipients include major corporations like Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and BODITECH MED, as well as organizations such as the Korea Shipowners' Association and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). The companies were chosen for their exceptional contributions to fostering collaboration between businesses and universities, as measured by the government's innovative "University-Industry Collaboration Mileage" system, a points-based program designed to transparently measure and reward corporate engagement with the higher education sector.

Let's take a closer look at how the system works and what it means for these companies.

What's the University-Industry Collaboration Mileage System

The mileage system is a key component of the government's strategy. It serves as a quantifiable metric that allows companies to earn points and, in turn, gain a competitive advantage when applying for government support. The system is designed to encourage diverse forms of collaboration, with specific point values for each activity.

Key areas where companies can earn mileage points include:

• Talent Development: This is a major focus, as it directly addresses a critical need for a skilled workforce.
  • Student Field Placements: Companies earn 1 mileage point for every ₩10,000 they provide in support funds for students participating in standardized internship programs.
  • Co-Developed Educational Courses: Companies receive mileage for their financial contributions to specialized programs created in partnership with universities. This includes contract-based majors (where a curriculum is custom-designed to meet a company's needs), custom-order education programs, and capstone design projects. Companies receive 1 mileage point for every ₩10,000 in expenses they cover.
  • Hiring Graduates: A company earns a significant 300 mileage points per student hired who has completed one of these university-industry collaboration programs.
• Research and Development (R&D): The system provides strong incentives for joint research projects. Mileage points are awarded based on a weighted formula tied to the amount of research funding a company deposits with a university's cooperation foundation.
• Technology & Infrastructure Sharing: This aspect promotes the commercialization of university-developed research and the efficient use of high-cost equipment.
  • Technology Transfer: Companies earn points for acquiring university-held patents and technologies. The mileage is based on the technology transfer fees paid.
  • Shared Equipment: Businesses are also rewarded for paying to use a university's advanced research or laboratory equipment, which helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access cutting-edge tools without a significant capital investment.
• Scholarships and Donations: Companies receive points for scholarships or development funds donated to students or a university.

The Benefits of Excellence

The "University-Industry Collaboration Excellence Awards" grant recipients access to a number of exclusive benefits for a period of two years. These include:

• Financial Incentives: Preferential loan interest rates, early repayment fee exemption, preferential exchange rates, and discount on various fees from partner financial institutions, such as NH Nonghyup Bank and SC Jeil Bank.
• Government Program Advantages: Bonus points when applying for a wide range of government-supported projects from various ministries, including the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, recognized companies benefit from an upgraded evaluation grade when applying for R&D guarantees and receive additional points when competing for SME-specific programs. Similarly, the Ministry of Employment and Labor grants extra points to companies seeking Employment Stability or Maintenance Subsidies, while also giving them preferential treatment when applying for certification as one of "Korea’s Leading Companies for Job Creation." Companies are likewise rewarded with bonus points when applying to become Work-Study Program Learning Enterprises.