How to Innovate Manufacturing in the Low-Carbon Era? ... Ulsan City and UNIST Hold the 'Global Manufacturing Innovation Forum'

by Kim Yongu

Published 13 Dec.2021 15:59(KST)

Updated 10 Aug.2025 21:07(KST)

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Discussion on Digital Transformation of Carbon Neutral Production System at Ulsan Exhibition & Convention Center on the 13th

Event Program.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] How is Ulsan City, which is leading carbon neutrality as a policy priority, developing a new direction for manufacturing innovation?

Ulsan City, after being registered in 2020 as the first in Asia and the ninth worldwide as a ‘Manufacturing Innovation Hub’ by the World Economic Forum, has presented a new direction for manufacturing innovation.

On the 13th at 2:30 PM, Ulsan City and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) held the ‘Ulsan Global Manufacturing Innovation Forum’ at the Ulsan Exhibition & Convention Center, in cooperation with the World Economic Forum, under the theme ‘Manufacturing Innovation in the Low-Carbon Era.’

The ‘Manufacturing Innovation Hub’ is one of the forum’s core projects, a global regional network that supports small and medium-sized enterprises to rapidly transition their manufacturing methods in response to the innovative technological developments of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In the selected cities, companies, research institutions, and government officials participate together to discover key topics in manufacturing innovation and promote related projects.

Ulsan City, as the center of domestic manufacturing industry and a leader in carbon neutrality, is presenting a global growth direction for manufacturing suitable for the carbon-neutral era. It is building a foundation for innovation in the competitiveness of core industries such as automobiles, shipbuilding, and petrochemicals, as well as for creating new growth engines.

Anders Opedal, CEO of Equinor (Norwegian state-owned energy company) and a key speaker at the forum, emphasized in a special lecture the role of offshore wind power in achieving carbon neutrality worldwide and the new changes required in manufacturing during the carbon-neutral process.

Jo Won-kyung, Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs of Ulsan City, introduced in his keynote speech a project to reduce carbon dioxide by 13.95 million tons annually through floating offshore wind power, which Ulsan City is promoting as a core of carbon neutrality 2050.

He also presented a blueprint for large-scale job creation by accumulating digital transformation technologies such as digital twin and predictive maintenance to enhance domestic wind power business capabilities.

Kim Dong-seop, President of Korea National Oil Corporation, emphasized in his keynote speech the importance of securing manufacturing innovation technologies related to digital transformation and energy transition to overcome carbon neutrality and COVID-19.

He presented a new growth direction for manufacturing innovation through securing and accumulating digital transformation technologies such as optimal production technology (O&M), engineering, materials and components, virtual reality, and the Internet of Things in the energy transition processes including carbon capture and storage (CCS), offshore wind power, and green ammonia hydrogen.

Noam Boussidan, Energy Platform Curator of the forum, explained that the World Economic Forum launched the Clean Hydrogen Initiative in 2020 aiming to build a hydrogen ecosystem and secure economic feasibility.

He announced that efforts are being made collaboratively to remove barriers in various aspects such as standards and certification, cost, demand, technology, and infrastructure to activate green hydrogen as a large-scale trading market between countries.

Cynthia Hutchison, Program Fellow of the World Economic Forum, argued that after experiencing the global supply chain crisis due to COVID-19, it is now time to shift perception from price competition to risk competition.

She also emphasized that the global network of the Manufacturing Innovation Hub will play a more important role as a global cooperation solution in the new normal environment.

The panelists commonly pointed out that overcoming the global supply chain crisis caused by COVID-19 and realizing carbon neutrality by 2050 are increasing difficulties for manufacturing.

They stressed the need to prepare new manufacturing innovation by securing digital transformation technologies required during the transition to renewable energies such as wind power and hydrogen.

Im Seong-hoon, Director of the 4th Industrial Innovation Research Institute at UNIST, which organized the event, introduced that UNIST’s Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence and AI Innovation Park are leading the digital transformation of manufacturing companies related to regional core industries and new industries.

He also expressed the ambition to develop the forum into one that discusses specific tasks such as 3D printing and hydrogen mobility and cooperates with global regions starting next year.

Song Cheol-ho, Mayor of Ulsan City, said, “Being designated as a manufacturing innovation hub means that Ulsan has an opportunity to join the global industrial trend of carbon-neutral manufacturing innovation,” adding, “Ulsan will grow into an advanced industrial city and lead the future through the hub.”

Lee Yong-hoon, President of UNIST, said, “The future of Ulsan will be a smart industrial city based on artificial intelligence and data,” and “UNIST will take the lead in supporting new changes in Ulsan’s manufacturing industry, centering on the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence and AI Innovation Park.”