Seoul AI Hub, the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s flagship AI industry incubation center, has signed consecutive MOUs with startup organizations in Taiwan and Canada, accelerating support for Seoul-based AI startups seeking to expand overseas. The focus goes beyond simple networking to establishing tangible touchpoints where companies can validate technology on the ground and connect directly with investors and research institutions.
Seoul AI Hub announced on the 11th that it signed an MOU with INNOPAD TAIPEI, Taiwan’s international startup innovation hub. INNOPAD TAIPEI opened in July this year with support from the Taipei City Government, helping overseas startups enter and establish themselves in Taiwan. Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) participates in its operations, and the hub holds a network of companies, research institutions, and universities in the AI and semiconductor sectors.
The two sides plan to explore a residency-style exchange program in which Seoul AI Hub tenant and membership companies can use INNOPAD TAIPEI’s office space and facilities while validating local market potential. Conversely, a reciprocal entry model is also under consideration, where Taiwanese startups could explore the South Korean market through Seoul AI Hub. The program will be rolled out in phases, starting with small-scale pilots based on company demand and operational conditions.
In the investment arena, the two organizations agreed to mutually recommend startups for investor relations (IR) events and startup gatherings in Seoul and Taipei, and to facilitate meetings with local venture capital firms, corporate venture capital (CVC) arms, and strategic investors. Joint Seoul-Taipei branded IR events are also under consideration for the future.
In research and development, Seoul AI Hub will connect Seoul AI startups with ITRI and other Taiwanese research and industry organizations to pursue joint research projects, proof-of-concept (PoC) validation, and commercialization partner discovery, with a focus on AI and semiconductor fields.
Byun Woo-seok, head of Seoul AI Hub, said: “For AI startups expanding overseas, what matters more than simple networking is having touchpoints where they can validate technology and business models on the ground and connect directly with companies, investors, and research institutions. Through this agreement, we will establish a practical foundation for Seoul companies to leverage Taipei’s industrial and research ecosystem.”
Montreal Collaboration Also Expands
Prior to the Taiwan agreement, Seoul AI Hub signed an MOU on the 10th with Centech, a deep-tech accelerator based in Montreal, Canada. The signing ceremony was held on the 7th at the hub’s main center in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, attended by Julien Lucchesi, Centech’s Director of Strategic Partnerships; Damien Pereira, Representative of the Government of Quebec in South Korea; and Lim Yong-woo, Research and Innovation Attaché.
Centech is an accelerator based in Montreal, Quebec, that supports deep-tech startups in technology commercialization and growth. The two organizations plan to link companies and research institutions in Seoul and Montreal to pursue AI technology demonstration and open innovation, while supporting startups from both regions in local settlement and market entry.
Starting next year, Seoul AI Hub will select promising AI startups and connect them with Montreal-based acceleration programs. Once the program is finalized, participating companies will receive mentoring for local market entry, technology commercialization support, and networking with industry, research institutions, and investors.
The collaboration with Centech expands the scope of Seoul AI Hub’s existing Montreal initiatives. Since signing an agreement with Montreal AI research institute Mila in 2023 to operate a joint research program, Seoul AI Hub has dispatched Seoul AI startups to conduct joint research with Mila researchers on-site. It supported seven companies each in 2024 and 2025, and this year six companies are participating in approximately 15 weeks of on-site joint research.
While the existing program was research-focused, the Centech collaboration adds local customer discovery, investment attraction, and commercialization processes. The plan includes sharing deep-tech startup incubation and technology commercialization expertise, and jointly identifying business opportunities through global AI events and conferences.
Representative Pereira said: “Quebec and South Korea are collaborating in various fields including aerospace, quantum, bio, and semiconductors. As AI is a core enabling technology driving innovation across these industries, I hope this collaboration will connect the innovation ecosystems of both countries even more closely.”
Global Expansion Preparations in Full Swing
Seoul AI Hub’s consecutive agreements represent a concrete step forward in supporting Seoul AI startups’ overseas expansion. What was previously limited largely to joint research and networking has now evolved into a phased support system encompassing residency programs leveraging local footholds, investor matchmaking, and technology demonstration.
Taiwan, as a key axis of the global supply chain in AI and semiconductors, is considered an ideal market for Seoul AI startups to conduct technology validation with local partners. Montreal, with its world-class AI research ecosystem centered on Mila and deep-tech acceleration infrastructure, can serve as a forward base for entering the North American market.
Seoul AI Hub plans to start with small-scale pilot programs in both regions, assess results, and then scale up in phases. The approach differentiates itself from previous overseas expansion support in that participating companies can meet local customers, companies, research institutions, and investors directly to confirm business viability.
In particular, the investment-side initiatives—facilitating meetings with local VCs, CVCs, and strategic investors, and exploring joint branded IR events—could broaden funding pathways for Seoul AI startups abroad. In R&D, if joint research projects with key local institutions like ITRI and Mila materialize, they are expected to help Seoul startups validate their technology and build global credibility.
