Cross-border collaborations: Three Korean organizations work to forge profitable ties to the US market

An unassuming three-story office building in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Vienna, Va., is home base for the Republic of Korea’s networking activities with U.S. investors, businesses, universities, scientists, and engineers.

Their interests extend from emulating U.S. institutions and practices to creating cross-border research and commercialization opportunities.

Korea–U.S. Science Cooperation Center

The nonprofit Korea–U.S. Science Cooperation Center (KUSCO) was established in 1997 to facilitate U.S.–Korean science and technology collaborations, expand global exchange programs, and provide support to U.S.-based Korean-American scientists and engineers. One of its newest programs, the “Exploration of Innovative Practices in U.S. Universities,” launched May 6–18, 2025, when KUSCO hosted 38 representatives of 18 Korean universities at the program’s inaugural meeting. The agenda included a mix of lectures and field trips to the campuses of New York University, George Washington University, George Mason University, and City College of New York.

The event was “designed to help innovation managers from Korean universities gain insights into the innovation practices of American universities, fostering a practical understanding of university innovation systems, accomplishments, and methodologies,” KUSCO stated in a press release.^a

KUSCO also sponsors the US-Korea S&T Forum,^b which is intended “to further empower the cooperation platform for scientists and engineers from both countries by focusing on any types of S&T filed seeking for the long-term collaboration between the U.S. and Korea.”

That program serves as co-sponsor of the annual U.S.–Korea Forums on Nanotechnology. This year, the 19^th Forum on “Nanotechnology: Sustainability in Semiconductor Manufacturing by Design and Neuromorphic & Quantum Sensors on a Chip” was held July 3–4, 2025, in Gyeonggi-do, Korea.

Korean American Scientists and Engineers Association

Among KUSCO’s neighbors in that office building is the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA), which was founded in 1971 to contribute to Korea’s economic development through collaborations with the U.S. Its members include employees of IBM, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Rensselaer Polytech Institute, Boeing Research and Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, and Intel, among many others.

The organization’s recent activities include two events held in Atlanta, Ga., from Aug. 5–6, 2025: the Scientists and Engineers Early Career Development (SEED) Workshop 2025 and the U.S.–Korea Conference 2025, which had the theme “Future US: Advancing Science and Technology to Benefit Humanity from Earth to Space.” KSEA’s priorities include expanding internships within leading industries, joint research with public institutions, and startup partnerships, according to Jae Hyeon Ryu, who assumed the presidency of KSEA on July 1, 2025.

“We aim to play a pivotal role in fostering a U.S.–Korea Science and Technology Alliance by pursuing joint international collaborations, supported by government funding agencies such as the U.S. National Science Foundation and Korea’s National Research Foundation,” he says in his inaugural presidential announcement.^c “These efforts will support both individual researchers and larger research ecosystems.”

Korea Innovation Center

The Korea Innovation Center (KIC) team works from this office building and also maintains operations in Silicon Valley, Berlin (headquarters for European activities), and Beijing. A project of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the organization describes itself as “on a mission to create a global startup ecosystem throughout our four locations” and “discover and incubate promising Korean technology startups” that have the potential to do business in the U.S. market.^d

Each year, more than 80 of those fledgling Korean companies participate in the Washington, D.C., branch’s “Technology Exchange & Transfer” accelerating programs, which are designed to promote cross-border technology exchange and commercialization. With an eye to market entry, the program also assists in making connections with strategic advisors and the investment community.

In Silicon Valley, programs include the annual Deep Konnect event, which offers the opportunity for one-on-one meetings with local investors. Although artificial intelligence, software as a service, and digital health initiatives dominate its list of startups, KIC Silicon Valley has partnered with Anpoly, a Korean venture that develops technologies aimed at enhancing the performance of eco-friendly products by using nanocellulose materials made from discarded waste materials.

An additional information resource is the Washington, D.C.-based Korea Economic Institute, an agent of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (a public corporation established by the Korean government). The think tank’s website at https://keia.org provides data and commentary regarding Korea’s perspective on its trade relationship with the U.S.

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