Gangwon-do Launches Effort to Attract 'Defense Industry Innovation Cluster'

Gangwon Defense Venture Center Opens on the 3rd - Linked to Advanced Future Industries
Governor Kim: "Advanced Defense Industry is Gangwon-do's '6th' Future Industry"

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced on the 2nd that it will challenge to attract the 'Defense Industry Innovation Cluster' specialized in the defense new industry sector for industrial agglomeration by linking the Gangwon Defense Venture Center, which opens on the 3rd, with Gangwon Province's advanced future industries.

A panoramic view of Gangwon Provincial Government Building. Photo by Gangwon Provincial Government Office

The Defense Innovation Cluster is a key project promoted by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration since 2020, establishing a defense network in six regions nationwide to support small and medium venture companies in entering the defense market through defense R&D technology support, venture and startup support, and attracting promising mid-sized companies.

Currently, Changwon, Daejeon, and Gumi City have been selected as Defense Innovation Clusters. Once selected as an innovation cluster, support worth a total of 50 billion KRW over five years is provided, including the establishment and operation of a comprehensive defense support center and specialized research institutes, as well as support for defense R&D facilities and equipment.

Gangwon Province has recently focused on the importance and development potential of the expanding advanced defense industry and its contribution to regional economic development. Accordingly, to establish a foothold for small and medium enterprises to enter the defense sector, the province enacted the Defense Industry Promotion Support Ordinance in December last year and established a dedicated team in July this year.

Additionally, Gangwon Province has steadily built a defense industry foundation by operating the Defense Industry Council four times, supporting 17 initial defense commercialization projects, and holding six defense industry forums involving industry, academia, research institutes, military, and government.

As a result, Gangwon Province secured the Gangwon Defense Venture Center under the Defense Technology Promotion Research Institute in August, which will serve as a stepping stone to attract the Defense Innovation Cluster. The Gangwon Defense Venture Center is scheduled to hold its opening ceremony tomorrow (the 3rd) at the Jiphyeon Hall of Kangwon National University.

As the 11th center to open nationwide, the Gangwon Defense Venture Center is a national institution specializing in defense support that signs agreements with excellent small and medium venture companies in Gangwon Province possessing promising technologies to discover defense-related tasks, develop technologies, and pioneer markets, thereby supporting the successful entry of these companies into the defense market.

The center plans to play a foothold role for entering the defense industry, which has high entry barriers, by utilizing professional networks with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, military, and defense companies. After the opening ceremony, it plans to sign agreements with 14 companies.

Gangwon Province plans to focus on discovering and nurturing excellent local small and medium enterprises participating in defense projects through the establishment of this Defense Venture Center. Furthermore, using the center as a foothold, it aims to create a Gangwon-type defense industry ecosystem linked with Gangwon's advanced future industries and challenge to attract the Defense Acquisition Program Administration's Defense Innovation Cluster specialized in Gangwon's advanced future industries such as hydrogen, semiconductors, and bio starting from 2026.

Governor Kim Jin-tae of Gangwon Province stated, "We are promoting advanced defense industry in three stages: Defense Industry Council, Defense Venture Center, and challenge for the Defense Innovation Cluster," adding, "Following the five major future industries of semiconductors, bio-health, future mobility, future energy, and food tech, we will prepare well for the advanced defense industry, which has become the sixth future industry."

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