Gwangju TP Successfully Hosts Forum on Establishing Future Car Materials, Parts, and Equipment Specialized Complex

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The ‘Gwangju Future Car Materials, Parts, and Equipment Specialized Complex Development Forum’ was held to prepare for the major transformation of the future car industry.

The event took place on the 21st at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Gwangju Metropolitan City, hosted by Gwangju City and National Assembly member Kim Kyung-man, and organized by Gwangju Technopark and Gwangju Green Car Promotion Agency. About 150 participants from industry, academia, research, and local figures attended.

The forum was held to mutually understand the importance of the ‘Gwangju Future Car Materials, Parts, and Equipment Specialized Complex Development,’ a measure to sustain the region’s largest core industry, the automobile industry, and to gather opinions from regional and external industry-academia-research experts regarding the development of the specialized complex.

In particular, as the automobile industry transitions into a mobility industry based on eco-friendly and autonomous driving technologies, it is important for local companies to keep pace with these changes. Therefore, the forum focused intensively on measures and effects to support the transformation of local automobile parts companies.

Ko Hyung-jun, CEO of Global Open Partners, said in his keynote speech, “Centered on electronic components, the specialized field of the Gwangju future car materials, parts, and equipment specialized complex, the core company-based value chain between existing demand and supply companies will be advanced and newly formed. This is expected to lead to an organic cooperation system between upstream and downstream industries and stabilize the supply chain.”

He explained that by classifying companies wishing to transition to future cars into advanced industries, transitioning industries, and new entry industries, and supporting their transition and expansion through the specialized complex’s specialized field projects, these companies can transform into core parts business groups capable of responding to the major upheaval in the future automobile market, thereby emerging as a key future growth engine for Gwangju from a long-term perspective.

In the subsequent panel discussion, chaired by National Assembly member Kim Kyung-man, he requested an explanation on the necessity of the ‘Gwangju Future Car Materials, Parts, and Equipment Specialized Complex’ from Lee Hang-gu, a senior researcher at the Korea Automotive Technology Institute. Lee stated, “Future cars are characterized by electrification, software-based systems, lightweighting, and digitalization. Through the establishment of the Gwangju future car materials, parts, and equipment specialized complex focusing on related parts, it is necessary to promote the transformation of local parts companies, encourage ICT companies’ entry and new startups, and strengthen the sustainable growth foundation of the regional automobile industry.”

Next, regarding ‘The reasons for developing Gwangju’s future car materials, parts, and equipment specialized complex, its differentiation from other regions, and the progress status,’ Kim Un-seop, head of the Policy Planning Group at Gwangju Technopark, explained, “By linking materials and parts produced in the existing five materials, parts, and equipment specialized complexes with future car electronic parts to be intensively nurtured in the Gwangju specialized complex, we plan to achieve the advancement of competitiveness across the entire automobile industry, a core national infrastructure industry. We have derived 20 current issues aiming to become a leading future mobility city and are operating an expert committee to materialize these.”

Regarding ‘Changes in Gwangju’s industry and the role of universities when the materials, parts, and equipment specialized complex is established,’ Professor Sung Baek-seop of Chosun University explained, “The Gwangju automobile industry must be transformed into an industrial structure linked to future-type vehicles (electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles). This change is impossible without related specialized personnel, so it is necessary to focus on curriculum innovation in related departments of local universities and the training of advanced personnel in graduate schools.”

Also, on the industry’s perspective and effects regarding the establishment of the automobile materials, parts, and equipment specialized complex, Shin Jae-bong, chairman of the Gwangju Automobile Industry Industry-Academia-Research Council, said, “Companies are facing many difficulties in independently transitioning their businesses for future cars, and government support is urgently needed for business transformation to survive. The establishment of the automobile materials, parts, and equipment specialized complex, which can comprehensively address these issues, is desperately needed.”

Finally, on the question of “What aspects Gwangju needs to further improve to be designated as a materials, parts, and equipment specialized complex,” Ko Hyung-jun, CEO of Global Open Partners, advised, “Gwangju’s willingness and plans to respond to future cars are significantly higher than other regions. However, the actual industrial agglomeration and competitiveness are on a different level, so it is important to demonstrate practical aspects such as transition cases and implementation plans.”

In particular, during the panel discussion, the necessity of relocating the Gwangju Kia plant was also discussed.

While Kia, positioned at the top of the future car value chain, is suitable as the anchor company of the materials, parts, and equipment specialized complex, its current location in central Gwangju is inefficient for parts supply. There was consensus on the need to enhance the completeness of the regional future car value chain by relocating the Gwangju Kia Motors specialized complex.

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