Science ministry to host international research industry convention in Suwon

The science ministry said Tuesday it will hold the International R&D Industry-Con 2026 at the Suwon Convention Center on Oct. 28 and 29, gathering about 4,000 researchers, industry officials and students.

The two-day event, organized with the Korea Research Industry Association and six other bodies, will feature 182 exhibition booths run by 134 companies and institutions covering research equipment and materials, commissioned research and other R&D services. They include 79 equipment and materials firms, 26 service providers, 13 startups, eight regional pavilions and eight co-organizing and related organizations including the Japan Analytical Instruments Manufacturers Association.

"The research industry is a reliable supporter of the R&D and commercialization of the three mega and seven seed projects," First Vice Minister Koo Hyuk-chae said in a video message prepared for the event. "Through this event we will support cooperation between researchers and companies so that it leads to tangible results, and build a research industry ecosystem in which supply and demand circulate well by reflecting voices from the field."

On the first day, four companies working in semiconductors, physical AI and small modular reactors — Alcemi, Park Systems, Airobot and RX — will present video interviews recorded in advance, followed by the vice minister's video message responding to them. A "K-Research Equipment Live Lab" will demonstrate actual research procedures using domestically made instruments, and the chemical society will run a linked poster session.

A global forum will bring together speakers from companies and academia, including U.S. firm Thermo Fisher Scientific and Switzerland's Tecan, to share technology trends and applications in AI-driven autonomous laboratories and discuss directions for cooperation.

The second day will center on matchmaking, with on-site consultations between researchers and specialized research service providers under the "Mega-Seed" supply-and-demand business matching program. Ten research industry companies will pitch to investors, and the government will brief attendees on its R&D programs, with a new technology presentation session running throughout the event.