Daedeok Innopolis in Korea: From Science Park to Innovation Cluster

Abstract

In the Republic of Korea, the science park development began to gain momentum in the 1970s when the Daedeok Science Town (Daedeok Innopolis, since 2005) was established as a national R&D center. In particular, the Daedeok Science Town was intentionally created as an engine of enhancing the national competitiveness of high technology and economic prosperity through the agglomeration of research institutes and universities in a planned science city. It brings together many national and regional development policy efforts from the last forty years to achieve technologybased economic growth and regional innovation. In addition, in the early 2000s, Korea’s regional innovation policy has been targeting the innovative cluster as one of critical instruments to achieve sustainable development through networked collaboration between HEI’s, research institutes, industries and government. It is highly regarded that Daedeok Innopolis is playing a crucial role as a regional platform for a comprehensive approach to technology-based regional development in a sustainable context. Daedeok Innopolis (new name) has undergone continuous selfrenewal over the past forty years to better respond to the economic demands of the nation. Today, Daedeok Innopolis has been reorganized as a global-cluster that signifies our entrenchment and renewed commitment to placing Korea’s high-tech prowess in the global spotlight (Daedoek Innopolis Management Office 2010). This paper will review development of Daedeok Innopolis based on experience over the last forty years (1973~2012). In particular, it will focus on the functional structure of science park development in terms of three different stages of the development model: science park, technopolis, and regional innovation cluster.