"Exploring Expansion into AI and Future Industries"... South Chungcheong Province to Inspect China’s Advanced-Industry Rise

[Financial News, Hongseong = Reporter Kim Won-jun] South Chungcheong Province, which has declared its goal of becoming the “AI capital of South Korea,” is visiting key sites of China’s advanced industries firsthand to build a cooperation network for future industries.
 South Chungcheong Province announced that its delegation, led by Deputy Governor Koo Bon-young, will visit major advanced-industry hubs—including Guangdong Province (Guangzhou and Shenzhen), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Nanning), and Shanghai—from the 15th through the 20th on a five-night, six-day trip. The visit is intended to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between local governments in AI and other key future industries, while identifying joint global projects.
 The delegation includes representatives from the public sector, private industry, academia and research institutions, covering not only administrative agencies but also policy, research, education and industrial sites. Asan-si, the Chungnam Research Institute, Chungnam Technopark, Chungnam State University, Soonchunhyang University (SCH), the Chungnam Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises and numerous private-sector companies are joining the delegation. The visit is expected to lay a practical foundation for industrial and technological cooperation.
 After arriving in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, on the first day of the itinerary, the delegation will tour a hydrogen fuel-cell production facility operated by a major South Korean company that has entered the local market and examine trends in the hydrogen ecosystem. It will then meet with the vice chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. To mark the 10th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between the two regions, the delegation will hold broad discussions on expanding exchanges and cooperation in future industries, youth and education.
 On the 16th, the delegation will travel to Shenzhen, a symbol of China’s reform and opening-up, to pursue investment attraction. South Chungcheong Province and Asan-si will hold an investment-environment briefing for major companies in Shenzhen and explore opportunities for exchanges and investment cooperation with local businesses. On the same day, the Chungnam Research Institute will host the Korea-China Future Industry Cooperation Forum, bringing together research institutions from both countries to share global future-industry policies and the latest technology trends.
 On the 17th, the delegation will visit EngineAI Robotics Technology, a leading physical-AI company in Shenzhen, to inspect the commercialization of robotics and AI. It will also examine a drone-delivery service currently operating in China and its core technological systems, and consider various ways to apply them to logistics and public services in South Chungcheong Province.
 On the fourth day of the visit, the 18th, the delegation will head to Nanning in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a hub for economic exchanges between China and ASEAN. It plans to visit the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and actively support six participating companies from South Chungcheong Province in developing overseas sales channels. The delegation will then visit an AI company research-and-development base in Wuxiang New District, which opened in August and has a total floor area of 65,000 square meters, to analyze the Chinese government’s AI-industry development policies and technology trends.
 South Chungcheong Province has recently accelerated the construction of advanced infrastructure aimed at establishing itself as South Korea’s AI capital, including attracting a 1.24 trillion won AI data center to Dangjin. In particular, Shenzhen’s physical-AI and drone-delivery technologies are regarded as key areas for upgrading South Chungcheong Province’s manufacturing-centered industrial structure. 
 On the 19th, the delegation will travel to Shanghai, where it will receive a briefing on and inspect the operations and local support system of the South Chungcheong Province China Office before returning to South Korea on the 20th.
 Jo Il-gyo, director of South Chungcheong Province’s Economic and Trade Bureau, said, "Through this visit, we will assess the current state of China’s future industries and identify diverse models for cooperation between local governments and joint projects. We will further solidify our cooperative relationships with Guangdong Province, China’s leading special economic zone, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a bridgehead for advancing into ASEAN." He added, "We will expand links among local governments, research institutions, universities and companies to enhance South Chungcheong Province’s competitiveness in future industries and continue supporting local companies’ entry into the Chinese and ASEAN markets."

[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter