The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) logo. Provided by KASA.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) will invest 48 billion KRW over five years to support the commercialization of space technologies based on public research achievements, connecting them to the private space industry.
KASA announced on the 2nd that it held a meeting for the ‘Space Technology Commercialization Promotion Support Project (R&D),’ aimed at creating new industries in space exploration and fostering an ecosystem for technology commercialization and startups.
The Space Technology Commercialization Promotion Support Project is a system that provides phased support, from planning to advanced R&D and follow-up connections, based on the public research achievements of universities and government-funded research institutes specializing in the space sector. A total project budget of 48 billion KRW will be invested over five years, from 2026 to 2030.
The proposed process for the Space Technology Commercialization Promotion Support Project. Provided by KASA.
The project will be carried out in three stages. In the first stage, 80 planning projects will each receive 100 million KRW for nine months to discover promising technologies and establish business models. This stage verifies the market suitability and commercialization potential of the technology.
In the second stage, a competitive process will be introduced to select outstanding technologies based on the plans established in the first stage. The selected projects will receive support for business model refinement, commercialization R&D, and prototype production. The plan is to support 20 commercialization R&D projects for up to two years, with a budget of 1 billion KRW per year. In the third stage, follow-up support will be provided for one year to facilitate commercialization through connections with other projects or public funds.
The recent meeting was attended by 10 domestic universities interested in space technology commercialization and startups. The direction and support system for the Space Technology Commercialization Promotion Support Project, newly launched for 2026, were shared. They also discussed challenges in the process of technology discovery, planning, and R&D for commercialization, as well as the need for support.
Kang Gyeong-in, Head of KASA’s Space Science and Exploration Division, stated, “By expanding communication with the research community, we will listen to the diverse opinions of researchers and actively support the transition of the domestic space industry to a private-led model, thereby strengthening our global competitiveness in the space economy.”
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