Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority Applies for "Automotive Cybersecurity" Project to Respond to Global Regulations

The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority announced on March 19 that it has applied to participate in the "Automotive Cybersecurity Certification Evaluation Support Project" promoted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in response to global regulatory requirements.

The Ministry has designed this public project, with a total budget of 24 billion won (including national and municipal funds), in response to international regulations such as UN R155, which mandates automotive cybersecurity management systems, as well as strengthened security regulations for connected cars in the United States.

In major export markets such as Europe, companies are required to establish a Cyber Security Management System (CSMS) and demonstrate compliance as prerequisites for vehicle type approval. Failure to meet these requirements directly impacts export competitiveness by restricting market entry. As a result, there is an urgent need to establish specialized testing, evaluation, and technical support infrastructure to help domestic automotive and electronic parts companies meet international standards.

If selected for this project, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority plans to equip the "Connected Car Materials and Components Certification Evaluation Center," located in the Seogu Robot Land, with nine types of testing and evaluation equipment. The authority will also provide technical support such as consulting and in-service employee training to strengthen companies' CSMS capabilities, as well as offer testing and evaluation services. Through these efforts, the authority aims to systematically support automotive and electronic parts companies in establishing security systems that meet international standards.

Interior view of the Connected Car Materials and Components Certification Evaluation Center. Provided by Incheon City.

The Korea Automotive Technology Institute is leading this project, with Incheon Technopark, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and Korea University participating as partners. The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority will provide administrative and financial support.

Since 2021, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority has invested a total of 21.3 billion won to establish the "Connected Car Certification Evaluation Center." In the second phase, after being selected for a Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy project, it has been investing a total of 14.8 billion won from 2022 to this year to build a wireless communication technology certification evaluation system (with 12 types of equipment).

If this third-phase project is selected, the center will expand its functions to include cybersecurity, in addition to the existing infrastructure and wireless communication testing and evaluation system. The aim is to establish an integrated testing and evaluation support system covering infrastructure, communication, and security for next-generation vehicles, positioning Incheon as a key hub for automotive cybersecurity.

Yoon Baekjin, Deputy Commissioner of the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, said, "We will expand our support infrastructure to ensure that local companies do not face difficulties in the export process due to strengthened global regulations."

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