"Innovation in Future Naval Technology"... Completion Ceremony Held for Advanced Naval Research Center 'Donghaegwan' in Changwon

Establishing Advanced Infrastructure for Unmanned and Integrated Maritime Research
Laying the Foundation for the K-Maritime Defense Industry Ecosystem

Changwon Special City in South Gyeongsang Province held a completion ceremony for the Advanced Naval Research Center "Donghaegwan (Unmanned/Combat Systems Research Building)" of the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) at the Jinhae Advanced Industrial Research Complex.

Advanced Ship Research Center Donghaegwan Completion Ceremony. Photo by Defense Science Research Institute

The event, held on November 14, was attended by Jang Geumyong, Acting Mayor of Changwon Special City, Lee Geonwan, President of the Agency for Defense Development, Kim Kyungryul, Superintendent of the Naval Academy, Kang Jungho, Commander of the Naval Education and Training Command, members of the Changwon Special City Council, and about 100 other participants. They celebrated the new beginning of the Donghaegwan, which will serve as a core hub for future advanced naval vessel research and development.

The Advanced Naval Research Center was established following a business agreement signed in 2019 between Changwon Special City and the Agency for Defense Development to foster the national defense industry and build a regional marine defense industry infrastructure. Changwon Special City provided a site of 23,273 square meters, and the Agency for Defense Development has been working to build the center since 2020 with approximately 110 billion won in government funding.

Among its facilities, Donghaegwan was established as a research hub aimed at developing state-of-the-art maritime weapon systems and core technologies. Located in Yeojwa-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon, it was constructed with a total project cost of about 31 billion won, covering a total floor area of 7,450 square meters, with one basement floor and four above-ground floors.

With the completion of Donghaegwan, it is now possible to conduct experiments and development for future unmanned surface and underwater vehicles, as well as advanced unmanned/manned integrated maritime research. This provides a foundation for enhancing domestic marine defense technology and competitiveness, and further strengthens the innovation base of the defense industry and R&D capabilities in the field of defense science and technology.

Jang Geumyong, Acting Mayor of Changwon Special City, stated, "With the completion of Donghaegwan, which will play an important role in research on future unmanned and manned integrated maritime combat systems, a foundation has been laid for the creation of the K-Maritime Defense Industry Ecosystem. Based on this, we hope to collaborate with local universities and companies to attract talented young professionals, foster specialized personnel, create jobs, and contribute to revitalizing the regional economy."

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