Ministry of SMEs and Startups Selects 'Busan Saha-gu' for First Digital Commercial District Renaissance

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 24th that it has selected 'Ontact Goejeong Smart Commercial District' located in Saha-gu, Busan, as the target site for the 'Digital Commercial District Renaissance Pilot Project.'

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced the project from October 29 to November 30 last year, conducted on-site and presentation evaluations on December 21, and finalized the selection of the target site through policy evaluation and resolution by the Deliberation and Adjustment Committee on the 21st.

The 'Digital Commercial District Renaissance Project' aims to help small business owners respond to non-face-to-face and digital transformation, bridge the digital gap among small business owners, and fundamentally enhance their competitiveness.

In the pilot project, the existing Commercial District Renaissance Project will be expanded into the digital domain, providing a package of support tailored to regional characteristics, including smart technology, online sales channel support projects, and complex experiential sales lounges.

The selected Busan Ontact Goejeong Smart Commercial District plans to establish an integrated online ordering system, create a meal kit factory to attract customers nationwide, and offer various digital experiences through a complex experiential space.

In the future, through expert diagnosis and consultation by field, a 'basic model' of the Digital Commercial District Renaissance Project will be established, and the business plan will be supplemented to ensure that the commercial district can carry out a substantial project over three years.

In addition to this pilot project selection this year, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to hold additional competitions for about two more locations to support the digitalization of local commercial districts.

Jang Se-hoon, head of the Local Commercial District Division at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, "I hope the Digital Commercial District Renaissance Project will serve as a leading model to overcome the crisis of local commercial districts caused by COVID-19 and rapidly changing consumer environments, and become a driving force for revitalizing the local economy."

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