South Korean Science Minister Receives Startup Nations Award for National Policy Leadership

The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), an organization of programs and initiatives that promote entrepreneurial growth, honored Dr. Choi Yanghee, Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning in South Korea, with the 2015 Startup Nations Award for National Policy Leadership.

Choi was recognized for his national public sector leadership in championing new policies or programs that advance new and young firm formation. He is the driving force behind Creative Economy Initiative, one of Korea’s biggest administrative goals.

“It is the bold, encompassing strategies and initiatives of Dr. Choi, from which entrepreneurial ecosystems world-wide can learn,” said Jonathan Ortmans, president of the Global Entrepreneurship Network. “It is innovative policy ideas and initiatives that strengthen economies and encourage development.”

Choi supervised the establishment of 17 Centers for Creative Economy and Innovation across major cities and regions, matching each of the Centers with leading companies. The Centers began opening in September 2014.

More than 300 startups came through the Centers, and 203 small- and medium-sized enterprises received about $31 million in investments. As of August, 42,000 people have participated in training and seminars on business creation through the Centers.

“The Creative Economy initiative has given rise to new markets, industries and decent jobs by tapping into the ingenuity of the people; leveraging science, technology and ICT; and upgrading existing industries,” said Kwanghyon Kim, who nominated Choi, and is executive director of the Banks Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs. “Minister Choi has played a crucial role in successfully laying the foundation for Korea to rise as a Startup Nation of the 21st Century.”

Roughly 100 delegates from 56 countries attended the Startup Nations Summit in Monterey, Mexico, where Choi was recognized. The National Policy Leadership Award is one of a series of three Startup Nations awards recognized during the Summit, made possible by the support of Mexico’s National Institute of the Entrepreneur (INADEM). The event is also part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week celebrations held in more than 160 countries world-wide.

The selection committee based its decision in part on the program’s innovativeness, personal commitment to shifting local government thinking on entrepreneurship policy and ability to replicate the initiative or adapt it to other communities or policy areas.

About Startup Nations

Startup Nations is a global network of policymakers and program leaders focused on exploring different regulatory changes and policy ideas to help accelerate new and young firm formation. The organization hosts the Startup Nations Summit each year in a different city around the world, gathering its network of startup community leaders and policymakers. The Summit helps better enable high-impact entrepreneurship, especially through the identification of policy levers and smart, public sector driven programs. The Global Entrepreneurship Network co-hosts the event each year, and the Summit is held in late November, starting over the weekend culminating the annual Global Entrepreneurship Week celebration.

About Global Entrepreneurship Network

The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN)  operates a platform of projects and programs in 170 countries aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. By fostering deeper cross border collaboration through initiatives engaging entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurial support organizations, GEN works to fuel healthier start and scale ecosystems that create jobs, educate individuals, accelerate innovation and strengthen economic growth. For details on the programs and initiatives that make up GEN, visit genglobal.org and follow @unleashingideas on Twitter.