Gwangju City Signs Business Agreement with GI Lab Co., Ltd., the First Gwangju-Type AI Joint Venture Company

Mayor Lee Yong-seop: "We Will Focus Our Efforts on Job Creation by Supporting the Development of the AI Ecosystem"

On the afternoon of the 6th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, signed a business agreement with Jeon Chang-ho, CEO of GI Lab Co., Ltd., the first Gwangju-type AI joint venture company linking industry, academia, and research institutes to create an AI innovation ecosystem, at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Seo-gu. The agreement aims to establish a Gwangju-type AI business foundation. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City has joined hands with GI Lab Co., Ltd., the first Gwangju-type AI joint venture company linking industry, academia, and research institutes, to promote regional industrial development and create an AI innovation ecosystem.

On the afternoon of the 6th, Gwangju Metropolitan City announced that it signed a business agreement with GI Lab Co., Ltd. at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center to establish a Gwangju-type AI business foundation.

This agreement with GI Lab Co., Ltd. marks the 50th since last October when Gwangju, aiming to become an AI-centered city, actively pursued cooperation with AI companies, starting with its first agreement with Incord P&P.

GI Lab Co., Ltd., the protagonist of the 50th business agreement, is the first Gwangju-type AI joint venture company linking industry, academia, and research institutes. It was established with the goal of receiving AI technology transferred from the research labs of GIST, Chonnam National University, and three specialized AI companies, advancing it into AI solutions, providing customized services, developing independent business models, and ultimately growing into a technology-centered global top-tier integrated AI solution company.

GI Lab Co., Ltd. has 13 shareholders, including the CEO of Gwangju United Technology Holdings, the CEO of SNU AI Lab, the CEO of Kudo Communication, the CEO of Intellivix, the CEO of Daeshin Information & Communication, the CEO of NH Networks, and seven professors from GIST and Chonnam National University.

Through this business agreement, GI Lab plans to actively cooperate in creating new jobs through regional industrial development by establishing a phase 1 industry-academia linked R&D environment and development process, phase 2 independent solution development and dedicated platform modularization, phase 3 expansion of intelligent service models and specialized solutions for the 4th industrial sectors, and ultimately pursuing a KOSDAQ listing.

The main contents of the agreement include technology development and policy consultation for creating the Gwangju AI ecosystem and regional industrial development linked with industry, academia, and research; fostering talent and promoting commercialization in AI platform development and service sectors to create jobs in the Gwangju area; developing and operating various corporate support programs and corporate promotion for the AI industry ecosystem; and planning and promoting specialized education and employment programs in the AI field.

Jeon Chang-ho, CEO of GI Lab Co., Ltd., said, “Through excellent industry-academia-research cooperation in Gwangju, we will enhance AI technology capabilities and grow into a world-class company capable of confidently entering Silicon Valley with outstanding researchers, contributing to job creation in Gwangju.”

Mayor Lee Yong-seop stated, “We welcome the establishment of the first Gwangju-type AI joint venture company linking industry, academia, and research. As it takes its first step in Gwangju, the AI-centered city, we will spare no support to establish the ecosystem early and commercialize the business. We will focus all our capabilities to lead the changes in job structures in the 4th Industrial Revolution era and create many new jobs.”

Meanwhile, at the agreement ceremony, Kim Jeong-tae, Secretary General and representative of the AI Attraction Companies Council, delivered a congratulatory message on the 50th business agreement and presented a bouquet.

Also, members of the Silicon Valley Investment Attraction Participating Companies Council declared “Our Pledge” and delivered the declaration.

They said, “One year ago, we saw the future of Gwangju in Silicon Valley, USA. Now, the future is becoming reality one by one, and AI talents and companies are flocking to Gwangju. We pledge that businesspeople will unite their strength and wisdom to help Gwangju, the AI-centered city, lead South Korea, one of the four major AI powers.”

Meanwhile, Gwangju City has achieved results by signing business agreements with a total of 50 AI institutions and companies, including GI Lab Co., Ltd., to cooperate in establishing a Gwangju-type AI foundation.

Among the 50 entities, 43 are companies and 7 are related institutions. By sector, there are 28 in big data, 8 in healthcare, 6 in automotive, 4 in security, 3 in voice recognition and natural language processing, 2 in robotics, 1 in industrial safety, and 1 in investment.

Among these, 32 companies, including 4 that relocated their headquarters and 24 that established corporations, have opened offices in Gwangju, employing about 100 people.

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