Gwangju TP Expects to Attract Over 380 Billion KRW in National Funding Projects Next Year

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Gwangju Technopark announced on the 28th that the scale of national government-funded projects it secured this year reached 137.2 billion KRW, marking an all-time high.

This surpasses the previous record of 132.3 billion KRW set last year.

They explained that Mayor Lee Yong-seop's full support for securing national projects and the determination of all staff, including Director Kim Sun-min, to obtain government-funded projects were also key factors. Through these national projects, it is expected to greatly contribute to the region's future growth engines and the creation of quality jobs.

Until now, Gwangju Technopark had been securing an average of about 40 billion KRW annually in national projects over three years since 2016, then recorded 82.9 billion KRW in 2019, followed by 132.3 billion KRW last year, and this year surpassed that with 137.2 billion KRW.

By achieving the largest annual budget this year, it has marked a new milestone in the 22-year history of Gwangju Technopark since its founding in 1999.

Looking at the detailed breakdown of projects secured in 2021, they include ▲Cargo Drone Technology Development Project (43 billion KRW) ▲Green Startup Town Development Project (35 billion KRW) ▲Dementia Cohort Multimodal Data Application Demonstration Base Construction Project (19.9 billion KRW) ▲Hospital-Centered AI-Based Digital Biomedical Industry Advancement Project (10 billion KRW) ▲Gwangju-Jeonnam Region Energy Cluster Talent Development Project (8.6 billion KRW) ▲Smart Home Appliance AI IoT SoC Technology Development Project (7.7 billion KRW) ▲Employment Stability Preemptive Response Package Support Project (6.3 billion KRW) ▲Well-Aging Human Healthcare Valley Development Project (4 billion KRW) ▲Other Projects (2.7 billion KRW).

Among these, the ‘Cargo Drone Technology Development Project’ is expected to greatly aid in creating a drone industry ecosystem in the region through the establishment of a Drone Industry Support Center and R&D support projects.

Additionally, the ‘Green Startup Town Development Project’ is a venture and startup nurturing hub initiative, planning to develop the area around Gwangju Station into the largest startup complex in the Honam region through the construction of a complex hub center in 2022. The ‘Dementia Cohort Multimodal Data Application Demonstration Base Construction Project’ is a representative regional new deal project that aims to promote convergence between the AI industry and healthcare industry through the establishment of a Dementia Technology Support Center.

These achievements of Gwangju Technopark are expected to continue in 2022. It is projected to secure national projects totaling 384.9 billion KRW across 10 projects, approximately three times the amount of 2021.

As of December 2021, the budget already reflected in the National Assembly includes 7 projects totaling 155.9 billion KRW, with detailed projects such as ▲Energy Knowledge Industry Center (36.4 billion KRW) ▲Low-Carbon High-Value Electrode Remanufacturing Innovation Technology Development (30 billion KRW) ▲K-health National Medical AI Service Data Ecosystem Construction (23 billion KRW) ▲Battery Pack/Module Performance and Safety Testing and Evaluation Center Construction (22 billion KRW) ▲Artificial Intelligence Semiconductor Commercialization Testbed Construction Project (19 billion KRW) ▲Key Doctor-Linked K-Medical Device Commercialization Support Center Construction Project (15.5 billion KRW) ▲Waste Battery Safety Center Construction (10 billion KRW). Additional expected projects amount to 229 billion KRW across 3 projects: ▲Air Purification Ventilation System Advancement Technology Development Preliminary Feasibility Study Project (195 billion KRW), ▲Peptide Process Technology Demonstration Center Construction (14 billion KRW), ▲Network Maker Factory (20 billion KRW).

Furthermore, to sustain the success in securing national projects, Gwangju Technopark internally conducted an idea contest, discovering a total of 15 tasks, of which 5 excellent tasks were prioritized for selection. They plan to concretize these by operating committees with experts from industry, academia, research, and government both inside and outside the region.

They also announced plans to secure future growth engines for the Gwangju-Jeonnam region by planning projects such as ▲Next-Generation Mobility Industrial Complex Development ▲Honam Region Advanced Medical Complex Development ▲Southwest Region International Trade Complex Development ▲Hydrogen Production Pilot Project Utilizing Nuclear Power as major election pledges, aiming for their adoption.

Finally, Director Kim stated, “By securing a large amount of national budget for three consecutive years, we have laid the foundation for the growth of the region’s key industries. Gwangju will shed the label of a barren land for future industries and emerge anew as a future industry-centered city by fostering AI industry, energy industry, eco-friendly automobile industry, and healthcare industry. Technopark will do its utmost to achieve this.”

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