Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) has been selected for the ‘2026 Campus Town Project’ implemented by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Through this project, Kookmin University has laid the groundwork to leap forward as a core hub of the global startup ecosystem representing Northeast Seoul. Starting in 2026, it will receive a total project budget of 2.4 billion won over two years and plans to intensively discover and nurture over 50 startup teams annually.

Following its selection for the Seoul Campus Town Unit Project in 2023, Kookmin University achieved an A+ performance evaluation in 2024, demonstrating its outstanding startup support capabilities. These achievements formed the basis for its selection in the 2026 Campus Town Project and provided an opportunity for strategic expansion beyond regional startups to nurture global unicorn companies.

Kookmin University is already executing four projects under the 2025 Seoul RISE (Regional Innovation Support System for Universities) initiative. By linking this with the Campus Town project, it will embark on building a full-fledged ecosystem to nurture AI-based innovative startup teams into global unicorns. Notably, by establishing an integrated startup support system that organically combines Seoul RISE and Campus Town, Kookmin University is expected to further solidify its position as a strategic hub for fostering local startups and innovative enterprises.

Based on its Startup Incubation Center (Seongbuk-gu) and Zero One Design Center (Jongno-gu), the university plans to significantly expand its startup incubation spaces and establish the ‘KMU-MBV Campus Town Venture Investment Fund’ to provide practical investment attraction support for early-stage startup teams. Specifically, it aims to achieve tangible results annually by fostering global unicorns. This will be accomplished by newly establishing a global testbed environment for teams aspiring to global expansion and providing tailored education and startup packages. Starting in 2026, it plans to discover and nurture over 50 startup teams annually, focusing on 27 future new industries including AI, content, bio, mobility, and smart manufacturing.

Kookmin University will pursue specialized strategies including: ▲Supporting global expansion for AI-based startups ▲Strengthening regional-industry-university collaboration through linkage with RISE ▲Cultivating AI-practical talent through collaboration with global companies like AWS ▲Establishing a regional co-prosperity startup hub.

President Jeong Seung Ryul stated, “Based on the founding principles of practical education philosophy from Mr. Kim Sung kon and the community spirit from Mr. Shin Ik Hee, Kookmin University has aimed to cultivate innovative talent that realizes entrepreneurial spirit and contributes to solving social problems.” He added, “This Campus Town project will enable Kookmin University to play a pivotal role in creating a ‘Seoul Seongbuk innovation startup ecosystem that nurtures global baby unicorns,’ transcending its role as a startup hub in Northeast Seoul. I am confident this will be a significant milestone in Kookmin University's leap forward as a core hub for fostering global unicorns.”