NEAR Foundation Unlocks Web3 B2B Solutions with SK Inc. C&C Strategic Partnership
NEAR FOUNDATION
September 20, 2023
The NEAR Foundation is joining forces with SK Inc. C&C, a global leader in the IT industry, to help Web3 businesses expand in the region. 

The collaboration brings together two teams committed to helping companies find the right Web3 tools to make their business grow. NEAR Foundation and SK Inc. C&C agree to carry out joint research, share and support partners in both ecosystems and collaborate on marketing and raising awareness. 

“I am very pleased to collaborate with a leading company in South Korea’s IT industry like SK Inc.C&C. This partnership is expected to serve as a significant milestone, leading to the emergence of various use cases and the creation of a user-centric ecosystem,” says Marieke Flament, CEO of NEAR Foundation. 

The partnership with SK Inc. C&C will leverage the NEAR Foundation’s network to strengthen its technological and business growth, connecting with SK Inc. C&C’s local corporate clients to accelerate the recruitment of outstanding companies in the Korean market.

“Various attempts are being made to discover Web3 services connected with public blockchains across various industries, including public, financial, manufacturing, and distribution sectors. Starting with NEAR Protocol, we will strengthen our collaboration with already market-validated public blockchain companies and embark on expanding the Web3 service ecosystem,” says Cheol Choi, Head of the Web3 and Convergence Group at SK Inc.C&C 

SK Inc. C&C provides consulting services, enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, intelligent transportation systems (ITSs), geographic information systems (GISs), billing solutions as well as other systems and solutions used in telecommunications, financial, logistics, energy and chemical industries. The company is active in the United States, China, the Middle East and other markets in addition to South Korea. 

Asia in focus
South Korea has become a major hub for the NEAR Community. Since launching in November of 2022, NEAR Korea Hub has hit a number of major milestones in the Korean Web3 industry. 

The Hub has significantly contributed to the expansion of the Web3 ecosystem over the past 6 months by forming partnerships with leading domestic technology companies, offering generous developer support, and forging long-term relationships with college blockchain clubs. 

The partnership with SK Inc. C&C forms part of a wider strategy to help support Asia’s role in mainstream adoption of Web3 and Open Web technologies. The NEAR Foundation’s support of ecosystems across Asia culminated in its recent NEAR APAC conference that took place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 
“NEAR Protocol is actively making moves to conquer the Korean market. As evidenced by the management team’s visit to Korea during Korea Blockchain Week (KBW), where discussions were held with leading companies in various industries, we expect significant results initially led by SK Inc. C&C,” says Scott Lee, General Manager, NEAR Korea. 