Mimetics (CEO Hyung-ki Park) announced on the 21st that it will participate as a demand company in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s “K-Sensor Technology Development Project for Market Leadership” (Project title: Development of a Large-Area Wafer-Level Stretchable Hybrid Sensor Platform for Free-Form High-Density Converged Sensors).
The project, led by the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), is a large-scale R&D initiative with a total budget of KRW 12 billion, to be carried out over seven years.
Mimetics is a student-founded startup from Sungkyunkwan University. Inspired by the micro three-dimensional dome structures of octopus suction cups, the company has developed a skin-friendly adhesive technology and a transdermal drug delivery wearable patch. According to the company, its patches reduce skin irritation by four times compared to conventional adhesives, while increasing skin penetration of active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and peptides by up to three times.
The company has also developed an all-in-one skin adhesive patch based on octopus suction structures. This product delivers precise doses of active ingredients to the skin without drug waste, and has demonstrated a 2–4 times greater depth of transdermal delivery compared to conventional patches, according to Mimetics.
In this new project, Mimetics will collaborate with ETRI, the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI), Sungkyunkwan University, Ajou University, and Korea University to develop patch-type skin sensors for diagnosing skin conditions and diseases. The company expects the initiative to provide a technological breakthrough that will enable expansion beyond the skincare industry into the medical and pharmaceutical fields.
Meanwhile, Mimetics plans to strengthen its global competitiveness by pursuing ODM (Original Design Manufacturing) partnerships with cosmetic brands, while also fostering mutual growth. The company also announced that it will launch new products in the first half of this year.
Lee Duri
