With the appointment of SNU Precision CEO Heui Jae Pahk (SNU Dep. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor) as the National CTO, also known as the R&D Strategic Planning Director of MOTIE, more and more entrepreneurs are killing two birds with one stone by becoming both professors and entrepreneurs.<?xml:namespace prefix = "o" ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Of the members listed in KOSDAQ, people who are currently both CEOs and Professors simultaneously just like CEO Heui Jae Pahk are CEO Hyung Jun Kim of Viatron (Hongik University Materials science and engineering professor), CEO Geun Shik Cha of (Kwangwoon Univ. Chemistry Professor) i-SENS, CEO Cheon Seok Park of Wave Electronics (SKKU Information and Communication Engineering Professor) and CEO Eun Pil Baek of Nano Chem Tech (Myung Ji Univ. Chemistry Professor) totaling roughly 5 people.

↑Viatron CEO Hyung Jun Kim

What these CEOs have in common is they all of they did start-ups during their time as professors. When asked about his inspiration that led him to start up a company, Viatron CEO Hyung Jun Kim said “I wanted to commercialize the technology stuck in post-grad research labs”.

CEO Kim commercialized his ‘Heat Treatment Technology’ with his students from Hongik Univ. which also happened to be his dissertation for his doctorate in MIT. His achievements in his labs were recognized worldwide, resulting in an established fund of 3 billion won from investments by Newton Capitals and Samsung Venture Investments even before starting the company.

Viatron, led by CEO Kim, has deals and contracts with majority of the global display companies such as Samsung Displays, LG Displays, BOE and others on the heat treatment technology of OLEDs, currently being praised as the new-age display. The company is currently recognized for its global competitiveness.

There is a synergy of lectures and economics as a Professor and CEO as these CEOs all said. Ideas from young minds can be utilized in the research and economics of a company, while the CEOs can give lectures on field experience as entrepreneurs to the students.

↑SNU Precision CEO Heui Jae Pahk

CEO Heui Jae Pahk said “Books and journals are already dead technology. I only utilize the knowledge I gained in the field through direct experience during my lectures. My lectures generally consist of brainstorming processes and deriving reasonable solutions. Through this process, I also receive bright ideas that can also be used in the entrepreneuring field.

SNU Precision, led by CEO Park was the first laboratory venture startup and is currently leading the world in LCD measuring equipment.

↑i-SENS CEO Geun Shik Cha

CEO Cha has been a chemistry professor in Kwangwoon Univ. since 1991 and currently leads the nation in the bio-sensor industry, a crucial part in the development of blood glucose sensors. His company i-SENS currently excels in the medical equipment sector such as blood glucose meters and blood glucose strips.

However, it is also no surprise that working as both professors and CEOs, a job by itself which constantly craves more time, overworks one’s health.

As a case, CEO Hyung Jun Kim is currently on leave as a professor for 1 year as the workload leaned towards running the firm with events such as the KOSDAQ prize happening. CEO Heui Jae Pahk is also running only a single course (Precision Measurement) in post-grad school.

But these CEOS are not prepared to give up neither academics nor entrepreneurships. CEO Park, when asked about how work would probably be more important said, “I’m going to kill 3 birds with 1 stone working as an entrepreneur, Professor and CTO”