[June 25, 2025] Seoul City Councilor Heo Hoon Meets Quito Mayor... "Hope Seoul's Policies Provide Real Help in Creating Innovation Technology Industry Ecosystem"
Seoul-Quito Strengthen Cooperation in Startups and Innovation Technology Fields
"Expect expansion of international exchanges between the two cities... Will actively support sister city ties at council level"
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Councilor Heo Hoon meeting Quito Mayor Pabel Munoz, who is visiting Korea on the 24th, at the Seoul City Council Members' Hall
Seoul City Councilor Heo Hoon (People Power Party, Yangcheon 2), a member of the Urban Planning and Balance Committee, met on the 24th with visiting Quito Mayor Pabel Munoz at the Seoul City Council Members' Hall. They exchanged views on expanding international exchanges between the two cities and cooperation for creating an innovation technology industry ecosystem.
Attendees included Quito Mayor Pabel Munoz, Councilor Hetor Cueva, Gonzalo Criollo of the Quito Economic Promotion Corporation, and Kim Gyun-tae, Director of the Seoul International Development Cooperation Agency (SUSA).
This visit is part of KOICA's (Korea International Cooperation Agency) ongoing 'Quito Startup and Technology Innovation Support System Strengthening Project.' The Quito delegation is touring Seoul's key startup support infrastructure including Startup Hub, Startup Support Center, and Invest Seoul, and seeking practical cooperation through MOUs with Seoul Business Agency (SBA) and Soongsil University.
KOICA's project, running from 2022 to 2026, centers on an innovation center at the site of the former Mariscal Sucre Airport terminal in downtown Quito. It supports comprehensive programs including startup ecosystem building, innovation technology-based startup and SME capacity strengthening, public innovation lab installation and operation, and innovation industry cluster roadmap development. Short-term goals include stable independent operation of the Quito Innovation Center and creation of an innovation technology industry ecosystem; long-term aims are activating technology innovation-based economic activities to generate startups and jobs in Quito.
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Councilor Heo Hoon and Quito Mayor Pabel Munoz during the meeting
Quito Mayor Pabel Munoz stated during the meeting, "Seoul is a city that has developed harmoniously blending history and modernity, sharing many similarities with Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage city. Particularly, with Seoul recently ranked 8th globally as the 'Best City for Startups,' it has achieved remarkable results in startups and innovation. We expect to learn from Seoul's excellent policies and experiences through this visit and further expand practical exchanges and cooperation between our cities."
Councilor Heo noted, "This KOICA ODA project goes beyond simple infrastructure support, aiming to fundamentally strengthen Quito's urban capabilities through startup ecosystem building, technology innovation, and public innovation lab operations. Seoul also nurtures IT talent through SBA's Youth Consulate School and actively supports various startup programs, so we hope those policy experiences will be beneficially applied to Quito's sustainable innovation technology industry ecosystem creation."
He added, "Through this visit, we expect strengthened policy cooperation between Quito and Seoul. Given Quito's desire for sister city ties with Seoul, the Seoul City Council will actively support institutional backing for sustained cooperation between the two cities."
Media Outlet: Online News Team (https://go.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20250625500030)
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