Liverpool Metropolitan Area Delegation Visits Busan, Strengthening Practical Cooperation Between the Two Cities

Liverpool, UK Regional Innovation Corporation, and Liverpool Regional University Officials Visit Busan from 24 to 29

Visit to Busan Innovation Facilities, Participating Organizations Meeting, Farewell Luncheon Hosted by Mayor Park Hyung-jun

From the 24th to the 29th, a delegation of about 10 representatives from the Liverpool City Region, including Secretary-General Catherine Fairclough, will visit Busan to strengthen practical cooperation between the two cities in areas such as urban innovation.

Photos of the Busan City delegation visiting the Liverpool City Region. (June 27, 2023)

The visit of the Liverpool City Region delegation to Busan is a reciprocal visit following last month’s visit by the Busan delegation, led by Mayor Park Hyung-jun, to the Liverpool City Region.

The two cities have maintained a practical cooperative relationship through initiatives such as the “Korea-UK Urban Innovation Twins Project,” which began with the participation proposal from the British Embassy in Korea.

The Innovation Twins Project is a project promoting mutual research and cooperation in innovation fields through one-to-one matching between Korean and UK cities (local governments), such as Busan and Liverpool.

On the 27th of last month, Mayor Park Hyung-jun led the Busan delegation to visit the Liverpool City Region, where they signed the “Busan City-Liverpool City Region Sister City Cooperation Agreement” with the mayor of Liverpool City Region and visited various innovation facilities in Liverpool, including digital innovation centers.

The visiting Liverpool City Region delegation consists of officials such as the Secretary-General, head of the international cooperation department, and representatives from urban innovation-related institutions including the UK Regional Innovation Agency, Liverpool regional universities, and the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council.

During their visit, they will tour Busan’s representative innovation projects such as the Eco Delta Smart Village, Busan New Port, and Osiria Tourist Complex, and experience smart city, smart port, and Meta Osiria facilities at the project sites.

They will also visit local companies related to extended virtual worlds (metaverse), hydrogen energy, and big data to mutually share related technologies and experiences, and continue various discussions for practical cooperation through meetings among participating organizations.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun plans to personally host a farewell luncheon on the afternoon of the 28th to meet with the Liverpool City Region delegation and discuss various ways to strengthen practical cooperation.

In particular, they plan to focus discussions on enhancing exchange and cooperation between the two cities in the fields of ▲digital (smart city), ▲clean energy, and ▲healthcare, and accelerating the Korea-UK Urban Innovation Twins Project.

Jo Yoo-jang, head of the Busan 2030 Expo Promotion Headquarters, said, “Through the Innovation Twins Project, we will promote mutual research and technological cooperation in strategic interest areas of both cities and further strengthen practical cooperation between the two cities. Going forward, we will also pursue economic cooperation such as support for startups and SMEs, as well as cultural cooperation such as dispatching mutual cultural delegations, to continuously expand the cooperative relationship with the Liverpool City Region.”

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