Yeosu-si, Jeonnam Technopark Chemical Industry Center Opens

Published 30 Nov.2023 10:03(KST)

Support Center for Fostering White Bio Industry and Others

Yeosu City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Jeong Gi-myeong) announced on the 29th that it has opened the Jeonnam Technopark Chemical Industry Center (hereinafter referred to as the Chemical Center) in the Future Innovation District within the Yeosu National Industrial Complex and is embarking on fostering Jeonnam's eco-friendly chemical industry, including the white bio industry.

According to the city, the opening ceremony of the Jeonnam Technopark Chemical Center was held on the same day with the attendance of Park Chang-hwan, Executive Vice Governor of Jeonnam Province, Jeong Gi-myeong, Mayor of Yeosu, provincial and city council members, representatives from research institutions in the Future Innovation District, and about 40 local chemical companies including GS Caltex and Namhae Chemical.

[Photo by Yeosu City]

The Jeonnam Technopark Chemical Center was established as a selected project under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's 2021 Smart Specialization Infrastructure Project titled ‘Establishment of Commercialization Infrastructure for Degradable Polymer Materials.’

A total project cost of 16.8 billion KRW, including 6 billion KRW in national funding, was invested to construct a new two-story building with a total floor area of 2,090㎡ on a site of 4,743㎡.

Accordingly, the center has installed 18 types of core eco-friendly chemical industry equipment for prototype production, testing, and analysis to demonstrate eco-friendly chemical industry technologies, and has officially started supporting local small and medium-sized enterprises in transitioning to eco-friendly chemical industries.

Yeosu City plans to develop the Yeosu National Industrial Complex into a domestic hub for eco-friendly chemical industries by designating it as a specialized complex for white bio materials and parts, centered on Jeonnam Province and the Jeonnam Technopark Chemical Industry Center, and by planning various eco-friendly chemical-related projects.

In his congratulatory speech, Mayor Jeong Gi-myeong of Yeosu said, “Globally, the degradable polymer materials industry is gaining attention as a solution to carbon reduction and environmental issues,” and added, “I hope that the Future Innovation District, centered on the newly opened Chemical Industry Center, will be reborn as a regional innovation research complex leading the white bio industry.”

Meanwhile, the ‘eco-friendly chemical industry’ refers to an industry encompassing the white bio industry based on biomass and biodegradable plastics, as well as the plastic circular economy, in contrast to the conventional petrochemical-based chemical industry that emits large amounts of greenhouse gases.