Daegu City Secures 3.1302 Trillion Won in National Funding for Next Year... Expected to Set 'Record High' Including Additional Amounts

New Projects Total 42 Cases and 107.8 Billion KRW... Establishment of Infectious Disease Specialized Hospital in Daegyeong Region Remains 'Uncertain'

On the afternoon of July 26, citizens who came out for an outing at Gangjeong Goryeongbo in Dalseong-gun, Daegu, are enjoying a walk and spending their holiday. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] In the 2021 government budget proposal, national funds allocated to the Daegu region amounting to 3.1302 trillion KRW were reflected for future new growth and SOC. This is an increase of 233.3 billion KRW (8.1%) compared to the previous year's allocation of 2.8969 trillion KRW.

According to Daegu City on the 1st, once the regional distribution amounts for national projects likely to be selected through public contests and the Daegu Love Gift Certificate Happy Pay (application amount 80 billion KRW) project are finalized in September, the reflected national funds are expected to increase further. Considering the total future national fund allocation, it is expected to exceed 3.2 trillion KRW, the largest scale in the past five years.

For the Daegu region, 42 new projects for 2021 were allocated 107.8 billion KRW (62.6% of the number of projects, 38.7% of the application amount). This is similar to the previous year's 57 projects with 105.6 billion KRW.

Looking specifically at the major national fund projects reflected for next year, in the fields of future growth engine creation and 4th Industrial Revolution R&D, the following were included: ▲ Construction of Water Industry Fluid Performance Testing Center (7.7 billion KRW) ▲ Establishment of Distributed Testbed (1 billion KRW).

Also reflected were projects such as the development of AI-based image analysis solutions for video diagnostic medical devices (5.5 billion KRW), construction of a future medical technology research building (0.5 billion KRW), establishment of a medical technology testing and training institute (4.8 billion KRW), and construction of an advanced medical device joint manufacturing center (2 billion KRW), which are expected to contribute to the activation of the regional advanced medical industry.

With the inclusion of projects such as the establishment of a 5G-based autonomous driving convergence technology demonstration platform (8.6 billion KRW), foundation for demonstration of future car driving electronic components (2.5 billion KRW), and construction of a future car digital convergence industry demonstration platform (0.5 billion KRW), growth engines for the future car industry have been secured. Additionally, major projects that allow Daegu to maintain its status as a leading city in the robotics industry were reflected, including ▲ Daegu Mobile Collaborative Robot Regulatory Free Zone (6.8 billion KRW) ▲ 5G-based Advanced Manufacturing Robot Demonstration Infrastructure (9.9 billion KRW) ▲ Intelligent Robot Distribution and Expansion (75.1 billion KRW) ▲ Robot Safety Evaluation Infrastructure (2.1 billion KRW).

Secondly, in the areas of strengthening the competitiveness of materials and components in key industries for regional economic dynamism recovery and leapfrogging after COVID-19, and regional industrial innovation, projects included ▲ Construction of a testbed for materials and components technology-based innovation projects (16.9 billion KRW) ▲ Waterless color industry promotion (8.1 billion KRW) ▲ Construction and demonstration of a big data platform for the materials industry (2.4 billion KRW) ▲ Advancement of commercialization demonstration base for advanced nano materials and components (2 billion KRW).

Along with these, securing funds for projects such as industrial complex remodeling (50 billion KRW), support for pioneering global new markets for urban consumer goods industries (2.9 billion KRW), construction of the 3rd Industrial Complex Innovation Support Center and Complex Cultural Center (1.5 billion KRW), and promotion of the Korean eyewear industry advancement project (1.5 billion KRW) will strengthen industrial competitiveness through structural advancement of traditional regional industries.

Thirdly, in the field of expanding a comprehensive transportation network including linkage with the national industrial complex railway network, projects reflected include ▲ Construction of Daegu Industrial Line Railway (14.4 billion KRW) ▲ Construction of Daegu Metropolitan Railway (12 billion KRW) ▲ Construction of Daegu Ring Expressway (102 billion KRW) ▲ Construction of Dasa~Waegwan Metropolitan Road (5.4 billion KRW) ▲ Double-track electrification of Urban Railway Line 1 from Ansim to Hayang (37.6 billion KRW). Other projects necessary for congestion relief and strengthening competitiveness of aging industrial complexes include the Sanghwa-ro grade separation project (11.2 billion KRW), construction of Joya~Dongmyeong Metropolitan Road (2.3 billion KRW), and construction of access roads to Kumho Waterpolis Industrial Complex (10.6 billion KRW).

Other major projects include ▲ Construction of the National Information Resources Management Institute Daegu Center (140.1 billion KRW) ▲ Modernization of agricultural and marine products wholesale market facilities (2.7 billion KRW) ▲ Early acquisition of the former Gyeongbuk Provincial Office site (18.8 billion KRW) ▲ Electric vehicle, two-wheeler, and hydrogen vehicle distribution projects (72.1 billion KRW), enabling the rapid advancement of long-standing regional projects.

Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin stated, "As a result of our efforts to secure national funds for 2021, it is very fortunate to have secured budgets for acquiring future industry driving forces and recovering regional economic dynamism," adding, "We will do our utmost to additionally secure pending projects not reflected in the government budget proposal, such as the establishment of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Infectious Disease Specialized Hospital and the construction of a pharmaceutical smart factory platform."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.