Seoul Accelerates Industrial AI Transformation... Launches 'AX Innovation Center'

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has declared the full-scale operation of its industrial AI transformation ecosystem. Through the "Industrial AX Innovation Center," the city will provide companies with customized AI transformation roadmaps, while the "Seoul AI Innovation Council" plans to connect the AI talent pool at universities to the industrial field.

On November 25, the city held the launch ceremony for the "Seoul Industrial AX Innovation Center" and the "Seoul AI Innovation Council" at the main center of the Seoul AI Hub. The ceremony was attended by Oh Sehoon, Mayor of Seoul; Choi Hojung, Chairperson of the Seoul Metropolitan Council; and approximately 100 deans of AI and convergence graduate schools from institutions such as Seoul National University, KAIST, and Yonsei University.

Seoul AI Hub Anchor Facility. Provided by Seoul City

The two organizations have established a "comprehensive implementation system" that enables the entire process of AI technology adoption, consulting, proof of concept, and expansion to be carried out within Seoul. They will function as execution-oriented platforms that solve industrial field problems with AI.

The newly established Industrial AX Innovation Center will continuously accept requests for transformation from companies throughout the year, responding to the rapidly increasing demand for AI adoption in various industries such as manufacturing, logistics, fashion, and content. After diagnosing the status of processes, data, and operations, the center will operate as a one-stop consulting hub that provides transformation roadmaps.

The center will serve as a real-time proof-of-concept platform supporting all stages of AX transformation, including matching demand and supply companies, forming industry-academia consortiums, designing and conducting proof of concept (PoC), and on-site validation and expansion. This is considered a practical, execution-based support system that provides real help to companies that find it difficult to adopt AI independently due to the high cost of infrastructure or lack of specialized personnel.

The Seoul AI Innovation Council, which was launched on the same day, is an open industry-academia cooperation council involving 10 AI and convergence graduate schools: Kyung Hee University, Korea University, Dongguk University, Seoul National University, Sungkyunkwan University (RISE AI Cluster Project Group), Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University, Chung-Ang University, KAIST, and Hanyang University.

The council will connect the latest research achievements, advanced AI talent, and pools of industry-specific experts from universities to the industrial field. It will provide AI consulting and advisory services, problem definition, joint research, and proof-of-concept support, serving as the "brain" that intelligently supports the on-site implementation of the Industrial AX Innovation Center.

The city explained that with the integration of companies, universities, research institutes, and startups into a single system, the three major AI governance bodies (the graduate school council, the Industrial AX Center, and the Seoul AI Hub) have now been established.

Going forward, the city plans to strengthen the real-time consulting system, establish a pool of expert advisors, and expand the pool of supply companies centered on the Industrial AX Innovation Center. Starting next year, the city will make programs available year-round and increase the scale of support.

Mayor Oh emphasized, "From now on, AI will work for people, industries will innovate for people, and the entire city will operate intelligently. We will realize 'Seoul, a city that leads the future with AI.'"

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