Sejong University announced that its technology transfer income for 2024 was the highest among South Korean universities, posting 17.37 billion won ($12.5 million) that year.
It outpaced other top Korean universities, including Kyung Hee University at 9.7 billion won, KAIST at 8.1 billion won, Seoul National University at 6.4 billion won and Sungkyunkwan University at 4.3 billion won.
This figure is the second-highest in Korean history, following Hanyang University’s 27.9 billion won in 2022, and reflects a dramatic leap from just a few hundred million won a decade ago, the university explained.
University technology transfer is the process of moving scientific discoveries and inventions from university research labs into the public and private sectors, often leading to new products, services and businesses.
The achievement stems from Sejong’s longstanding commitment to structured innovation through the Education Ministry’s Bridge program, which supports the commercialization of university intellectual property, the school said. The school has developed high-value, mature technologies by establishing tailored support across the research and development and startup lifecycle.
A standout success lies in its diversification of standard essential patent royalties, especially in video codec technologies. Since joining global patent pools for HEVC, VVC, AV1 and VP9, Sejong University has secured hundreds of billions of won in royalties.
“Through the specialization of a dedicated technology commercialization organization, Sejong University has been conducting demand-driven, high-value technology commercialization that is in line with the university's characteristics,” said Um Jong-hwa, president of Sejong University.
"This achievement is the result of fulfilling the university's social responsibility to return its excellent research results to society and contribute to improving national competitiveness.
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
