Gangwon Province Selected for "Region-Led AI Transformation Project," Secures 14 Billion Won in National Funding

Gangwon Province to Establish First Public GPU Center in the Region
Securing 14 Billion Won in National Funding to Accelerate Biohealth AI Transformation
Building AI Transformation Hubs, Including a One-Person AI Startup Platform

Gangwon Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced on April 1 that it has been finally selected for the "Region-Led AI Transformation Project" organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, securing 14 billion won in national funding.

A view of Gangwon Province Government Office. Courtesy of Gangwon Province Government Office

The "Region-Led AI Transformation Project" is a core government initiative aimed at enhancing industrial competitiveness by promoting AI adoption among local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In February, nine cities and provinces nationwide applied for the project. After document and presentation evaluations by a review committee composed of experts in policy, technology, and economics, two regions—Gangwon and Chungnam—were ultimately selected.

The province formed a consortium of nine institutions with specialized capabilities in various fields in the region, with the Wonju Future Industry Promotion Agency as the lead organization. It also strengthened its project implementation base by closely cooperating with the offices of National Assembly members representing the Wonju area, as well as with Chuncheon and Wonju city governments.

Additionally, Gangwon Province was highly evaluated for its capability to carry out the project by presenting a specialized biohealth AI transformation strategy based on its experience operating three major regulatory free zones of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Digital Healthcare, Precision Medical Industry, and AI Healthcare Global Innovation Zone).

With this selection, the province will invest a total of 23.6 billion won—including 14 billion won in national funding—by 2027, focusing on four main areas: ▲establishing AI infrastructure ▲adoption and demonstration of AI solutions ▲support for AI-based startups ▲training of AI professionals.

For the first time in the province, an "Industrial Public GPU Farm" will be established, providing a shared platform for high-performance computing resources that individual companies find difficult to secure. Through this, the province plans to actively support the development of AI solutions based on bio and medical data.

Additionally, the province will support "end-to-end customized AI transformation" for bio and healthcare companies, covering everything from diagnostics to consulting and solution dissemination. In particular, it will foster and vitalize the AI startup ecosystem through a one-person startup support platform and AI agent-based programs.

Furthermore, the province will operate AI education programs tailored to industry needs to strengthen the practical capabilities of both incumbent workers and prospective job seekers, and accelerate the training of professionals who can be immediately deployed in the field.

Through this project, Gangwon Province aims to expand AI adoption to more than 247 local SMEs, expecting tangible economic effects such as a 15% increase in sales, a 10% improvement in productivity, and the creation of more than 20 AI-based startups, contributing to industrial advancement.

Governor Kim Jin-tae of Gangwon Province stated, "Integrating AI into the biohealth industry, one of Gangwon’s seven key future industries, will serve as a major turning point. AI transformation is no longer an option but a necessity to secure global competitiveness. We will accelerate AI adoption across all regional industries to realize Gangwon as a future-oriented global city."

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