Southeast Region 'Artificial Intelligence Hub' Emerges... Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology AI Innovation Park Launches

Establishment of Education, Research, and Startup Hub at UNIST Industry-Academia Convergence Campus in Nam-gu, Ulsan

Dedicated Team Formed for Full-Scale Operation ... Project Briefing Session to be Held on the 12th

UNIST Industry-Academia Convergence Campus view.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] The ‘AI Innovation Park,’ a flagship project of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST, President Lee Yong-hoon), is officially launching.

Since the establishment of the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence last year, momentum has been building to create an AI hub to boost the development of Ulsan and the southeastern region.

UNIST has formed the ‘AI Innovation Park Project Group (Director Kim Dong-seop)’ and started operating the secretariat for full-scale project management.

The secretariat began work in January to promote detailed projects in various fields, and as the first step, it will hold a non-face-to-face project briefing session on the 12th.

Located at the Industry-Academia Convergence Campus in the Techno Industrial Complex in Nam-gu, Ulsan, the AI Innovation Park aims to establish an innovative ecosystem in the region through AI and big data-based education, research, and startups.

By introducing a data-network-artificial intelligence (D.N.A) based manufacturing innovation system to Ulsan, the industrial capital, it is expected to bring about substantial industrial changes.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and Ulsan City are also actively supporting the AI Innovation Park project. Approximately 3.5 billion KRW in project funds will be invested this year, combining national and city budgets.

Kim Dong-seop, Project Group Director (Dean of the College of Information and Bio Convergence), said, “Ulsan is a city where manufacturing innovation combined with AI can have the greatest impact, and we expect AI projects that differentiate us from other regions.” He emphasized, “The AI Innovation Park will play a major role in helping Ulsan take a step forward as a ‘Smart Industrial City.’”

The core projects of the AI Innovation Park are broadly composed of three parts: education for industry workers, industry-academia collaborative research, and startup support.

Education for industry workers will be centered on the UNIST Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence (Dean No Sam-hyuk). The program, named ‘AI Novatus Academia,’ will begin in February.

Students will attend AI theory classes (2 months) and practical training (3 months) every Friday. The education focuses on acquiring capabilities to directly solve industrial field problems, and for practical projects expected to have significant impact, industry-academia project support of up to 100 million KRW will be provided.

Systematic support will also be provided for industry-academia collaborative research for AI convergence. Research and development in the form of ‘AI+X Labs’ will be actively supported to innovate key regional industries and foster new industries.

Together with corporate members, research bases for convergence such as ‘AI+Automobile,’ ‘AI+Shipbuilding,’ ‘AI+Healthcare,’ and ‘AI+Semiconductor’ will be established, cooperating to attract and carry out joint industry-academia projects.

For startup support, incubation spaces for AI innovative companies will be provided. AI-related venture companies will lease space at the Industry-Academia Convergence Campus, where resident companies can benefit from collaboration opportunities with UNIST researchers, as well as education, seminars, and computing facilities.

President Lee Yong-hoon said, “Smart manufacturing innovation based on AI and data will change the future of the southeastern region,” and added, “We hope the AI Innovation Park will lead industrial changes in the southeastern region and grow into a world-class AI innovation hub that drives a new leap forward for the national economy.”

In addition to the AI Innovation Park, UNIST has been working to build a foundation for digital innovation in Ulsan and the southeastern region. The Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence opened in September 2020 and admitted new students, and the Future Mobility Research Center was inaugurated in May and is actively operating.

In September, the ‘Graduate School of Semiconductor Materials and Components Convergence’ is scheduled to open, and the ‘Smart Healthcare Research Center’ for fostering digital healthcare is also about to open.

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