Operation of "Startup Gyeongbuk 3·5·10" connecting Gyeongsan (Start), Pohang (Prove), and Gumi (Make) -
Gyeongsangbuk-do announced on the 29th that it held the launch ceremony for the "Gyeongsangbuk-do Startup City Task Force" at the Andong Stanford Hotel, alongside key startup organizations from within and outside the province, including the cities of Pohang, Gumi, and Gyeongsan. During the event, the province held a vision declaration ceremony for the grand transformation of startups and unveiled the "Startup Gyeongbuk 3·5·10" initiative.

The launch ceremony was attended by approximately 100 people, including Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Pohang Mayor Park Yong-sun, Gyeongsan Mayor Cho Hyun-il, Gumi Deputy Mayor Jung Sung-hyun, and Jung Ki-hwan, head of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Regional Small and Medium Venture Business Administration, as well as representatives from universities, research institutes, investment firms, large and mid-sized enterprises, and public institutions.

The task force is a coalition of over 50 organizations designed to lead regional startup support and innovation. Six organizations will serve as operating institutions: Gyeongsangbuk-do, the cities of Pohang, Gumi, and Gyeongsan, the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Regional SMB Administration, and the Gyeongbuk Center for Creative Economy & Innovation. Additionally, 44 organizations specializing in talent cultivation, research and technology, and investment and finance will participate as partner institutions.

The province plans to bid for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' "Startup City Project"—which will select six non-metropolitan areas in December—with a "collaborative startup city" model. By connecting the three cities, the province aims to establish a growth-stage support system ranging from startup discovery to commercialization.

The "Startup Gyeongbuk 3·5·10" consists of 3 strategic axes, 5 stages of growth solutions, and 10 core execution tasks. Tailored to the growth stages of companies, Gyeongsan will serve as the "Start" base, Pohang as the "Prove" base, and Gumi as the "Make" base. This connects each step of the process from startup inception, technology and marketability verification, to product realization and commercialization.

In Phase 1 (2027–2028), the startup city engine will be operated centered around the three cities. In Phase 2 (2029–2030), the startup network will expand to the northern, eastern coastal, western, and new airport regions. In Phase 3 (2031 and beyond), even after government funding ends, the province will continue fund recovery and reinvestment to secure a virtuous cycle structure.

The province has set a goal to foster 1,000 startup companies and 100 deep-tech startup companies while creating 10,000 startup jobs by 2030. Based on these achievements, it will lay the groundwork for entering the top 100 global startup ecosystems.

Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheol-woo emphasized, "In the past, attracting a single large factory drove regional development, but moving forward, successfully nurturing a promising company is directly tied to our future. The starting point of Gyeongbuk's policies must not be institutions or infrastructure, but the challenging entrepreneur."

He added, "We will pool the capabilities of over 50 organizations to lead the grand transformation of startups and provide robust support so that Gyeongbuk-style unicorn companies can emerge."

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