POSCO Group Opens Korea's First Advanced Manufacturing Incubating Center to Foster Manufacturing Startups

Equipped with Product Demonstration and Mass Production Infrastructure Support Ranges from R&D to Global Market Access Four Promising Ventures Including Nforus Join as Residents

POSCO Group announced on July 22 that it has opened the nation’s first Advanced Manufacturing Incubating Center in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, aiming to revitalize the local manufacturing startup ecosystem.

Exterior view of the Advanced Manufacturing Incubating Center. POSCO Group

The RIST Advanced Manufacturing Incubating Center, established through a collaboration between POSCO Group, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, North Gyeongsang Province, and Pohang City, is the country’s first hub dedicated to nurturing manufacturing startups. It leverages the practical research expertise of the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST) and provides a total floor area of 4,074 square meters across two stories, accommodating up to ten companies.

In particular, the center is equipped with essential shared infrastructure for product verification—such as cooling water, compressed air, and six types of industrial gases (including hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen)—to help startups in advanced new materials as well as energy and environment sectors overcome difficulties they may face during product validation and mass production, despite having excellent technologies. RIST supports tenants with testing, analytics, reliability assessment, and process engineering expertise.

Resident companies receive comprehensive support throughout all stages of their business cycles, from technology development to verification, mass production, fundraising, commercialization, and factory establishment.

POSCO Group is mobilizing its internal capabilities in venture support, manufacturing, R&D, and marketing to drive the growth of these companies. Specifically, POSCO Group oversees the entire incubation process, including sourcing promising startups, supporting research and development, scaling up equipment and processes, commercialization, and securing global sales channels. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups along with North Gyeongsang Province will provide ongoing operational support for the center.

The company explained that the opening of this center is an extension of its ‘Change Up’ venture nurturing platform, which POSCO Group has been advancing.

Currently, four companies that have received direct or indirect investment and research support from POSCO Group have moved into the center: Nforus (hydrogen production via high-temperature electrolysis), Solarize (solar inverter production), Verycore Materials (eco-friendly coating production), and EA Force (solvent extractants for secondary batteries). Nforus was selected last year as the first startup from the POSCO Holdings’ business creation program.

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