Gwangju's AI Industry Enters Growth Phase After 5 Years: Expansion of Companies, Talent, and Infrastructure

Seven Local Companies Win Awards at CES 2026
Over 160 AI Companies Relocate to Gwangju
Talent Nurtured Through AI Academy and Universities
Domestic NPU Collaboration and AX Demonstration Valley Initiatives

The "AI-Centered City Gwangju Project," which Gwangju Metropolitan City has been pursuing for the past five years, has entered a full-fledged growth phase, showing clear achievements in attracting companies, nurturing talent, and establishing infrastructure. On the 24th, the city announced, "The AI ecosystem has moved beyond planning and vision, entering a phase where it leads to tangible business growth and job creation."

Kang Gijeong, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, delivered the keynote speech on "South Korea's Top 3 AI Demonstration Cities: Gwangju" at the 10th Seoul Future Conference held at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on the morning of the 5th. Provided by Gwangju City

The technological capabilities of Gwangju-based AI companies have been recognized at CES, the world's largest IT and home appliance exhibition. At "CES 2026," which will be held in January next year, seven companies from Gwangju won one Best of Innovation Award and six Innovation Awards. Over the past four years (2023-2026), 15 companies have received two Best of Innovation Awards and 22 Innovation Awards in 24 categories, proving the competitiveness of local AI technology on the international stage. LBS Tech Co., Ltd. won the Best of Innovation Award for its AI solution connecting vehicles and pedestrian pathways, while Innoditech Co., Ltd., Ghostpass Co., Ltd., IndieJ Co., Ltd., Allthetime Co., Ltd., Minespace Co., Ltd., and Deepscent Co., Ltd. each received Innovation Awards in their respective fields.

The city has also continued to achieve results in attracting companies. Gwangju has signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with 349 companies to date, with more than 160 of these companies having relocated or established their headquarters or branches in Gwangju. Centered around the AI Corporate Cooperation Center, the city has provided startup spaces, technical support, and demonstration programs to lay the foundation for business growth. Seventy startup offices and 53 shared offices at the AI Startup Camp are provided free of charge, and as of September, 31 out of 67 offices in the newly opened AI Startup Building in Advanced District 3 are being occupied by companies. The city is also supporting the production of minimum viable AI products with municipal funding, as well as business development and marketing programs, AI voucher support, and solution development projects to address urban challenges.

In terms of nurturing talent, an education system based on business demand has been established. Gwangju AI Academy is producing practical AI professionals, while local universities' AI Convergence Colleges and AI Graduate Schools are producing highly skilled talent at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels. Chonnam National University’s Semiconductor Specialization College is training semiconductor specialists in collaboration with 25 fabless companies, further strengthening ties with the industry.

Collaboration among companies is also expanding. Gwangju has built an industrial cooperation platform that enables technology and data sharing and joint project execution, thereby advancing the collaborative structure of the AI industry ecosystem. Collaborative projects using domestically developed AI semiconductors (NPUs) are also on the rise. Innoditech is working with FuriosaAI and Rebellions to enhance AI-based dental analysis and orthodontic solutions, while Intflow is conducting smart livestock demonstration projects to monitor animal health at over 70 livestock farms nationwide using AI cameras equipped with DeepX NPUs.

Gwangju has completed the first phase of the AI convergence complex and will launch the "AX (AI Transformation) Demonstration Valley" in earnest, investing 600 billion won over five years starting in 2026. The goal is to expand services that citizens can experience by integrating AI into strategic industries such as mobility and energy. The city aims to establish the AI Innospace, cluster 1,000 AI convergence companies, and create more than 6,000 jobs. The government has exempted the project from the preliminary feasibility study, accelerating its implementation.

The city is also working on establishing the National NPU Computing Center, designating an AI regulatory-free demonstration city, and attracting the National AI Research Institute. NPUs are next-generation semiconductors that offer 10 to 100 times greater efficiency than GPUs in AI inference stages, and Gwangju is leveraging this to foster an AI semiconductor ecosystem and expand computing infrastructure. If the city succeeds in attracting the National AI Research Institute, it is expected that real-world demonstrations and connections between businesses and research institutions will be further strengthened.

Choi Taejo, Director of the AI Industry Bureau of Gwangju, stated, "Gwangju's AI industry has moved beyond vision to a stage where business growth and job expansion are becoming visible. By combining tailored support for companies with advanced infrastructure, we will establish Gwangju as the hub of South Korea's AI industry and a global technology center."

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