The Busan Center for Creative Economy and Innovation (Busan CCEI) successfully led its global open innovation program, Plug In: Tokyo #9, at the Climbers Startup JAPAN EXPO 2026, held in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, from April 15 to 16.

Marking its third consecutive year at Japan's largest startup exhibition, Busan CCEI partnered with CCEI centers from Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon to set up a joint pavilion, supporting 10 promising Korean startups in entering the Japanese market.

The program was designed to boost entry prospects into the local market through a pre-event open innovation forum, joint pavilion operations, B2B meetups, and booth tours. The tours and networking sessions, attended by local corporate executives, opened up concrete opportunities for collaboration with Korean startups.

Over the two days, around 300 business meetings were conducted, with roughly 66% leading to discussions with key partners, including major corporations and mid-sized enterprises. The initiative yielded tangible results, including three proof-of-concept (PoC) projects, two memorandums of understanding (MOUs), one non-disclosure agreement (NDA), 31 tech implementation proposals, and over 80 confirmed follow-up meetings.

Meanwhile, Busan Techno Park and the Busan Metropolitan City Government participated in GITEX AI Asia Singapore 2026 from April 9 to 10 to support local blockchain companies in expanding globally.

Five companies—MediFun, Retrust, SmartM2M, AI Platform, and MarinaChain—participated in the Singapore event, securing $7.11 million in total investment and export consultations. This included 14 investment consultations valued at $6.8 million, 12 export consultations totaling $310,000, and 22 MOUs signed.

These results were achieved under the Blockchain Specialized Cluster Development Project, promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), highlighting the global competitiveness of Busan's blockchain sector.

Busan continues to actively support the overseas expansion of tech startups and blockchain firms, driving the international competitiveness of local industries through global open innovation and investment linkages.

Source : https://www.viva100.com/article/20260423500305