Wonju Opens AI Convergence Innovation Education Center, Hub for Training Practical AI Talent

【Financial News Wonju = Kim Gi-seop】Wonju has opened the AI Convergence Innovation Education Center, which trains practical talent capable of applying AI technologies in industrial settings.
According to Gangwon State and Wonju-si on the 17th, the opening ceremony of the AI Convergence Innovation Education Center and the global AI forum NEXT AI 2026 WONJU were held that day at the convention hall of Hotel Inter-Burgo Wonju. The center was established as part of the Ministry of Science and ICT's project to create an AI convergence innovation hub based on digital healthcare.
The Ministry of Science and ICT, NIPA, Gangwon State, and Wonju-si jointly promoted the project, with the Wonju Future Industry Promotion Agency serving as the lead organizer. Located on the eighth and ninth floors of H Tower on Innovation-ro in Wonju-si, the center is equipped with hands-on facilities, including AI practice and lecture classrooms, seminar and shared spaces, and GPU-based servers for learning and utilization.
The center offers practical courses using medical data. The Medical Data-Based AI Fundamentals course, which runs for 80 hours, and the Intermediate Medical AI course, which runs for 120 hours, cover deep learning and the development of medical AI models. The 80-hour Medical AI and Digital Healthcare Robotics course teaches robot control, autonomous driving, and the implementation of AI vision-based healthcare monitoring robots. The center also offers an 80-hour Medical AI Digital Twin course and an 80-hour Digital Healthcare Industry Planning Practicum, covering a broad range of topics from 3D modeling to commercialization and scale-up strategies.

At the NEXT AI 2026 WONJU forum held after the opening ceremony, Herman Woo, NVIDIA's senior instructor and head of education services, shared insights into the future of deep learning education and global trends in AI talent development. Global companies and experts, including Supermicro, Zettabyte, and Carl Zeiss, discussed next-generation AI computing infrastructure and data centers, as well as the convergence of medical AI and physical AI. Held under the theme "Medical AI Meets Physical AI," the forum featured specialized sessions, a leadership roundtable, and one-on-one global business matching.
Gangwon State and Wonju-si plan to use the opening and forum as an opportunity to gradually build an AI industry ecosystem extending from talent development to technology validation, industrialization, and global cooperation. They plan to combine AI with the medical device and digital healthcare foundation built over the past 30 years and link it with projects such as the Gangwon Medical and Wellness AI Transformation initiative. Their goal is to connect medical AI development with demonstration and commercialization while expanding into industrial applications of physical AI.
Shin Won-cheol, Economic Vice Governor of Gangwon State, said, "We will train specialized vertical AI talent linked to the medical industry at the center, which is equipped with a GPU-based hands-on training environment." He added, "Through practice-centered education, we will develop it into a hub that drives a decisive competitive edge for the medical industry in the AI era."
Wonju Mayor Goo Ja-yeol said, "At the center, which is equipped with GPU training facilities, we will cultivate practical talent covering everything from medical AI to robotics and digital twins." He added, "We will turn cooperation with global companies and experts into talent development, technology validation, and industrialization, and grow Wonju into a hub for the AI industry."

[email protected] Kim Gi-seop Reporter