Among university-based startups in Korea, 31.6% are high-growth companies—defined as those with over 20% growth in revenue and employees over three years. This far exceeds the national average of 2.2%, underscoring their contribution to industrial innovation. In this context, Hanyang University has been selected for the 2025 Lab-Based Startup Leadership University Project, highlighting its potential as a national innovation hub. We met with Professor Ryu Chang-wan to learn more.

By. Park Young-im / Photo. Son Cho-won

■Securing National Support for the Next Two Years

Notable examples of Hanyang-born ventures include: Solibis (Professor Shin Dong-wook, Department of Materials Science and Engineering), which develops solid-state battery electrolytes; GeneMedicine (Professor Yun Chae-ok, Department of Bioengineering), focused on metastatic cancer therapies; Battery Solution (Professor Sun Yang-kook, Department of Energy Engineering), producing high-performance cathodes for EVs; ArtBlood (Professor Baek Eun-jung, Department of Medicine), which commercializes artificial blood using stem cells; and Nursing XR (Professor Yeo Ji-young, Department of Nursing), offering next-gen medical education solutions through AI and XR. These companies began in Hanyang’s research labs and evolved into high-potential startups.

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT have been jointly promoting the “Lab-Based Startup Leading University Program” since 2018 to help outstanding university laboratory technologies evolve into successful startups. This year, Hanyang University was selected as the lead university for the program and will receive 2 billion KRW in government funding over two years until 2026. The initiative is a collaborative effort by three ministries—the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups—to support lab-based startups. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT are responsible for discovering promising pre-startup laboratories, evaluating their technology and market potential, and providing R&BD (Research and Business Development) funding. Meanwhile, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups supports the growth of lab-based startups through follow-up funding, investment facilitation, and open innovation under its “Startup-Centered University Program.” Professor Ryu Chang-wan, head of the Startup Support Foundation, emphasized that the initiative would serve as a catalyst for expanding startup infrastructure and accelerating the commercialization of research outcomes.

“Hanyang University has been a participant in the ‘Lab-Based Startup-Centered University Program’ led by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups since its launch in 2020. With our recent selection for the 2025 ‘Lab-Based Startup Leading University Program’ by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT, we have solidified our position as a strategic hub for lab-based startups. Going forward, we plan to continue fostering lab-based entrepreneurship through a structured support system and take the lead in building a sustainable, tech-driven startup model.”

Hanyang University first designates “pre-startup labs” with commercialization potential and supports them with initial planning funds for market analysis and business model development. Labs that demonstrate sufficient startup capability are later selected as “innovation startup labs” and provided with full-scale support, including R&BD funding, startup consulting, and stipends for participating personnel. These high-potential lab ventures are further connected to follow-up support through the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ 8.5 billion KRW annual “Startup-Centered University Program,” enabling them to advance to the scale-up stage.

■Toward a Global Hub for Innovation

Hanyang University has long placed a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship education and support. Among the three pillars of its future innovation strategy—known as the 3S Innovation model—one key goal is fostering global entrepreneurs who create jobs and contribute to national growth through startups and technology transfer. Building on this foundation, the university has earned top national rankings in categories such as number of student founders and number of alumni serving as venture CEOs, cementing its reputation as Korea’s leading startup-driven university.

“Hanyang University, with its emphasis on practical education, was the first university in Korea to establish a Global Entrepreneurship Center in 2009,” said Professor Ryu Chang-wan, head of the Startup Support Foundation. “At the time, few universities showed interest in entrepreneurship education. But we believed that nurturing entrepreneurs was essential to developing future leaders for the nation, and we made early investments 16 years ago. I take pride in the fact that this contributed significantly to elevating the standard of entrepreneurship education in Korea.”

The Startup Support Foundation at Hanyang University oversees all aspects of startup education and assistance, providing tailored support across the full startup lifecycle—from preparation and launch to growth and eventual exit. In addition to offering step-by-step entrepreneurship curricula, the university hosts startup competitions, supports startup clubs, and provides hands-on training programs. It has also established a range of startup-friendly academic policies such as entrepreneurship leave, scholarships, and startup credits. To help student founders fully concentrate on their ventures, the university operates the “247 Startup Dorm,” which offers full scholarships and a dedicated living environment. Selected startups are given free office space, and the university facilitates investment through partnerships with its technology holdings company and domestic and international venture capital firms.

With this comprehensive infrastructure in place, Hanyang University opened its Graduate School of Entrepreneurship in the first semester of 2025 and welcomed its inaugural class. Moving beyond its undergraduate-focused programs, the university plans to expand its offerings to cultivate faculty and researchers into innovative entrepreneurs. Courses such as “Silicon Valley Live” will be available not only to enrolled students, but also to those from other graduate programs who are interested in entrepreneurship. The new graduate school is expected to serve as a vital accelerator for research-based, technology-driven startups.

■A Launchpad for Global Innovation Entrepreneurs

“Having cutting-edge technology is not enough to succeed in lab-based entrepreneurship,” said Professor Ryu Chang-wan. “Success depends on the university’s strategic support system, private-sector funding, and strong market connections. Leading global universities have long promoted lab-based startups by fostering entrepreneurship-friendly cultures and offering institutional and financial support. Major companies like Google, VMware, and Genentech were all born from such ecosystems.”

Stanford University and the University of Tokyo are often cited as exemplary models of lab-based entrepreneurship. Stanford systematically supports commercialization of research through its Office of Technology Licensing, while the University of Tokyo integrates technology transfer and 보스토토 support through its Industry-Academia Collaboration Office and even manages its own investment fund for research-based 보스토토s. As of 2022, the University of Tokyo had recorded over 330 spin-off 보스토토s, making it a standout leader among Asian universities in lab-based entrepreneurship.

Hanyang University aims to follow in the footsteps of these institutions. With the launch of its Graduate School of Entrepreneurship and its recent selection for the 2025 Lab-Based 보스토토 Leading University Program, the university is now poised to elevate its 보스토토 support ecosystem and establish itself as a premier basecamp for innovation-driven entrepreneurs.

“Universities are shifting from education- and research-centered institutions to innovation-centered ones,” Professor Ryu noted. “The number of entrepreneurs a university produces—and the scale of revenue those ventures generate—will soon become a key indicator of a university’s standing. If you’re a member of the Hanyang community with a promising business idea, don’t hesitate. Go for it. The Startup Support Foundation is here to provide space, funding, consulting—whatever you need to succeed.”

Which company will become the first unicorn to emerge from Hanyang 보스토토? Let us look forward to the historic birth of the next global innovator.