Jeonnam Province and Ministry of Economy and Finance Collaborate to Advance Regional Innovation Industries

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province and the Ministry of Economy and Finance put their heads together to develop regional innovation industries.

On the 16th, the province held a 'Local Government-University Cooperation-Based Regional Innovation Project' meeting attended by Ando Geol, 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Yoon Byeongtae, Deputy Governor for Political Affairs, and representatives from industry, academia, research, and government to discuss plans for nurturing young technical talent and supporting companies.

At the meeting, officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Education, local governments, and universities shared the Ministry of Education’s policies on talent development direction, the current status of the Gwangju-Jeonnam regional innovation project, and best practices, while reviewing progress and exchanging opinions on future development directions.

The Gwangju-Jeonnam regional innovation project involves Gwangju City, Jeonnam Province, 15 universities in the province, and 32 innovation institutions participating in workforce development, technology development, and company support.

The goal is for universities to cultivate outstanding talent and increase the retention rate of young people in the region. This year, a total of 68.4 billion KRW will be invested, including 48 billion KRW in national funds and 20.4 billion KRW in local funds.

Last year, to foster future strategic industries such as offshore wind power and secondary batteries in the new energy sector, as well as future transportation equipment fields like e-mobility, drones, and eco-friendly ships, 15 universities in the province operated 134 workforce development programs, 145 technology development programs, and 36 company support programs across two strategic fields.

Deputy Governor Yoon Byeongtae said, “Through the local government-university cooperation-based regional innovation project, we will support the cultivation of talent needed by companies in connection with local universities, serving as a catalyst for employment in industries and the creation of local jobs.”

Along with this, Deputy Minister Ando Geol was requested to reflect Jeonnam Province’s pending projects in the national plan from the perspective of balanced national development, including ▲the inclusion of the 5th national and local road construction plan such as Yeosu-Namhae ▲the establishment of an ultra-high-power laser center ▲the creation of a kimchi specialized production complex ▲and the promotion of a southern region wide-area tourism development project.

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