What Changed — Scattered Free Technology Transfer Channels Now Announced Together
A large pool of technologies that public institutions own but do not use has come onto the market at once. Four government bodies — the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, and the Ministry of Intellectual Property — are running a joint announcement of free technology transfer programs from September 7 to October 19, 2026. The pool covers 3,563 technologies held by 63 public institutions, including Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and KEPCO KPS, to be transferred to domestic companies free of charge or for a small fee.
Until now, each ministry ran its own schedule and channel, and companies had to track them separately. This time the programs are announced within the same window. Note that only about two weeks remain in the joint announcement window, and application periods differ by program: according to press reports, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources' energy public enterprise technology sharing (638 technologies from 10 institutions) closes on October 19, while the Ministry of Economy and Finance's unused patent sharing (2,925 patents and utility models) accepts applications year-round. Eligibility and required documents also differ by program, so check the notice of each operating agency before applying.
Three Tracks — Which Channel Fits Your Company
Confirm in each notice which platform handles which program and how to apply. At the search stage, it is safer to look through all three platforms.
Searching in Practice — How to Find Usable Technology Among 3,563 Items
Reading the list from the top is inefficient. We suggest the following order.
Three items matter when checking rights.
A non-exclusive license gives you the right to use the technology, while an assignment transfers ownership itself. With an assignment, your company bears the transfer registration cost and the annual maintenance fees thereafter. "Free" mostly means there is no technology fee.
Check Before You Apply — When "Free Technology" Becomes a Cost
The Real Work Starts After Transfer — Linking Follow-on Commercialization Funding
How you fund commercialization afterward matters more than the transfer itself.
Eligibility and schedules for each program change every year, so base your decision on the current year's notice.
Announced Improvements and Preparing for the Next Round
The government has said it will integrate the management of technology and patent information, expand incentives based on free technology transfer results, and simplify application documents. Even if you miss the programs closing on October 19, we recommend preparing a technology needs sheet in advance.
How KITIM Can Help
KITIM supports technology needs diagnosis, screening of candidate technologies, follow-on R&D project planning and business plan advisory. With some deadlines approaching, if you need help from the stage of narrowing down candidates, please contact us through the KITIM consultation request. We will work with you to design a technology acquisition and commercialization path that fits your product roadmap.