UIWANG, South Korea – March 27 – The Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) (President: Sagong Myung) held the “2026 KRRI Partner Company Forum” on March 26 at Haemu Hall of KRRI to address challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-sized companies, and to expand cooperation with the industry.

This year’s forum was attended by 27 SMEs that are collaborating with KRRI through joint research and other partnerships. KRRI researchers and commercialization experts participated together to discuss practical measures for promoting commercialization, including R&D support for resolving technical challenges faced by SMEs and strategies for entering overseas markets.

In the railway sector, 86% of SMEs have fewer than 50 employees, making it difficult for them to invest in R&D for technological innovation. They also face challenges due to limited access to information needed for venturing into overseas markets beyond the limited domestic market.

At the forum, KRRI discussed cooperation measures to support companies by providing consulting for issues that can be resolved in the short term, and by linking longer-term challenges to follow-up R&D projects for mid- to long-term solutions.

As a government-funded research institute under the National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST) (Chairman: Kim Young-sik), KRRI focuses on enhancing R&D outcomes by incorporating industry needs from the planning stage. KRRI also conducts collaborative research through its core research programs to support the innovative growth of SMEs and expands services by providing technologies required by companies through technology transfer.

KRRI contributes to resolving technical challenges in the field by supporting technology development, providing access to specialized expertise, and providing access to testing and evaluation equipment through its demand-driven commercialization R&D support program for SMEs and mid-sized companies in the railway sector.

KRRI also supports overseas expansion of companies receiving technology transfers. Last year, companies that received technologies such as the “IoT-based Overhead Line Tension Adjustment Monitoring System” and the “Railcar Cabin Air Quality Purification System” successfully entered the Taiwan market, demonstrating tangible outcomes.

Through the integrated SME support channel, the “SOS1379 SME Consultation and Support Center,” KRRI provides customized support including shared use of testing equipment, personnel support, and on-site consulting. In July last year, a technical consultation session was held, helping resolve challenges for 50 companies-the highest among government-funded research institutes in the science and technology sector. In particular, the “Development of a Trolley-Type Turnout Track Geometry Measurement System” is a representative case where a technical issue submitted through SOS1379 was linked to a demand-driven R&D support project and successfully led to commercialization.

President Sagong Myung of KRRI said, “We will support not only short-term technical challenges faced by SMEs in the railway sector but also their innovative-driven growth built on long-term technological competitiveness,” adding, “We will continue to strengthen customized support systems, including joint research, technology consulting, and expert matching.”





Press Contacts

Sunghyun Baek
Korea Railroad Research Institute
baeksh@krri.re.kr
+82 31 460 5183