Professor Luo began by elucidating the concept of "Hidden Champions" - small and medium-sized enterprises that maintain global market leadership in niche segments while remaining relatively unknown to the public. She emphasized how these enterprises serve as crucial, yet often overlooked, pillars supporting Korea's industrial competitiveness.

Through detailed case studies, Professor Luo provided comprehensive analyses of prominent Korean industrial clusters, including the Gumi Electronic Industrial Complex and Daegu Medical Cluster, demonstrating how these ecosystems have become fertile ground for cultivating "Hidden Champions." She stressed that these clusters represent more than mere geographical concentrations of enterprises; they form innovative ecosystems comprising SMEs, large corporations, universities, and research institutions that facilitate knowledge spillover, technology sharing, and collaborative innovation through tight-knit networks.

"The role of Korean SMEs within industrial clusters has undergone significant evolution," Professor Luo noted. "Their transformation from basic subcontractors to specialized problem-solvers and, ultimately, to co-innovators fully demonstrates the dynamism of Korea's industrial ecosystem." She particularly highlighted the crucial role of government policies, such as the "Industrial Technology Innovation Support Act," in guiding SMEs toward developing specialized, refined, unique, and innovative capabilities.

During the interactive session, participants engaged in in-depth discussions with Professor Luo on various topics, including comparative studies of SME development models between China and Korea, industrial cluster governance, and the construction of innovation networks. Professor Luo pointed out that China's current strategy to promote "Specialized, Refined, Unique, and Innovative" SMEs shares common ground with Korean experiences, suggesting substantial potential for bilateral cooperation in SME cultivation.

According to representatives from the School of Finance and Economics, this lecture provided valuable perspectives for understanding the development pathways of SMEs within industrial clusters and will inspire new research directions in related fields. The school plans to continue deepening academic exchanges with internationally renowned institutions like Ewha Womans University to jointly advance research in innovation economics.