South Chungcheong Province Clears First Hurdle for Nearly KRW 1 Trillion AI Mobility Demonstration Complex

[Financial News, Hongseong = Reporter Kim Won-jun] South Chungcheong Province (Chungnam) is launching the development of a large-scale research and demonstration complex to lead the transition toward mobility technologies centered on artificial intelligence (AI) and software (SW), which are considered key to the future automotive industry.
 Chungnam announced on the 4th that its project, “Development of the AI Mobility Comprehensive Demonstration Complex,” had been selected as a subject of the construction-type research and development (R&D) project review newly established by the Ministry of Science and ICT.
 The Ministry of Science and ICT introduced the review after the national R&D preliminary feasibility study system was abolished in February. It is designed to pre-screen demand from research sites, including demand for infrastructure development. Chungnam’s project was selected as the first project nationwide to undergo the review, raising hopes for its advancement.
 Prepared by Chungnam since 2021, the project aims to commercialize AI-based software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and optimize their manufacturing. The province plans to establish a full-lifecycle support system covering R&D, design, demonstration, and mass production. This is expected to shorten the time required for SDV mass production by 30% and help domestic small and midsize companies enter global markets.
 If the project passes the main review in the first half of next year, Chungnam will invest a total of KRW 999 billion over seven years, from 2028 through 2034, and pursue 44 technology development projects. The province plans to complete three research buildings and demonstration infrastructure by 2031. It estimates that the project will create 5,903 jobs and generate KRW 1.6298 trillion in production-inducing effects.
 Kim Young-Gwan, head of Chungnam’s AI Industry Innovation Bureau, said, "This selection has laid the foundation for Chungnam to become a key research and demonstration complex for next-generation AI-based vehicles. We will work closely with local lawmakers and relevant ministries to do everything possible to pass the final review in the first half of next year."
 The project is also expected to maximize synergies with the existing automakers and parts industrial complexes in Asan and Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. Local auto-parts companies, which have long relied on hardware-focused first- and second-tier suppliers, have faced serious pressure to undergo structural transformation as the global automotive market accelerates its shift toward SDVs.
[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter