Sacheon City Completes Aerospace Talent Hub as University Campuses Are Successively Approved

Approval of Gyeongsang National University Sacheon Campus and Preliminary Selection of Changwon National University
Full-Scale Launch of Industry-Academia-Research Cluster

Sacheon City in South Gyeongsang Province has completed a key piece in its bid to become the center of South Korea’s aerospace industry. With the Ministry of Education granting final approval for the establishment of the Sacheon Campus of Gyeongsang National University, Sacheon is now set to officially launch as a core hub for nurturing specialized talent in aerospace.

The city expects this approval to lead to the creation of a comprehensive talent development system, concentrating educational and research functions linked to the aerospace industry.

This move is significant not only as the establishment of a new university campus, but also as a national-level growth model that combines local strategic industries with higher education.

Gyeongsang National University plans to establish the Sacheon Campus in the Sacheon GNU Science Park area and will relocate and operate its graduate programs in the aerospace field there starting from the 2026 academic year.

Aerial View of Sacheon Aerospace Campus, Changwon National University

At the Sacheon Campus, in addition to the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Management (contract department) already established and operating as part of the Glocal University project, two specialized graduate programs—the Department of Aerospace Engineering and the Department of Aerospace Policy—will be relocated and operated.

As a result, the Sacheon Campus will house a total of three graduate departments, training 39 master’s and doctoral-level professionals annually.

Furthermore, the Sacheon Campus will function as a multifaceted hub, not only providing classrooms and research facilities, but also engaging in industry-oriented research and retraining programs.

In particular, through collaboration with the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA), Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), and others, the campus will establish a practical industry-academia-research cooperation system, including joint research, employee training, and shared equipment support. The Sacheon Campus will begin full-scale operations from the second semester of the 2026 academic year.

The establishment of this campus also aligns with the government's policy to foster specialized research universities. It is recognized as a leading example of implementing the policy’s aim to develop world-class research hubs by combining local strategic industries with university research capabilities.

Additionally, with the Sacheon Aerospace Campus project of Changwon National University being preliminarily selected, Sacheon will now have a full-cycle talent development system spanning undergraduate, graduate, and employee education. The Sacheon Aerospace Campus of Changwon National University will be established in Tongyang-ri, Yonghyeon-myeon, Sacheon City, at 58-6 Tongyang-ri and surrounding areas.

Furthermore, including the Korea Polytechnics Aviation Campus, Sacheon is expected to complete the nation’s top-tier talent supply structure, covering skilled technical personnel to advanced researchers.

This unprecedented aerospace talent development model, which integrates education, research, and industry, is expected to directly contribute to attracting businesses and strengthening industrial competitiveness.

An official from Sacheon City stated, "By linking graduate education at Gyeongsang National University, undergraduate programs at Changwon National University, and practical training at Korea Polytechnics, Sacheon will become the premier hub for aerospace talent in South Korea. We will continue to build a virtuous cycle between industry and education, aiming to transform into a city with global competitiveness."

Meanwhile, Sacheon City plans to further strengthen cooperation among the Korea Aerospace Administration, related enterprises, and universities, and accelerate efforts to build a sustainable industrial ecosystem based on industry-academia-research collaboration.

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