Gyeonggi Province Develops AI City in Pangyo, Constructs North Suwon Techno Valley

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gap-dong] Gyeonggi Province will develop an AI City in Pangyo Techno Valley where cutting-edge AI technology research and development can be conducted, and construct the North Suwon Techno Valley to connect the 'AI Knowledge Industry Belt.' The province will utilize AI technology to provide interactive information on the Gyeonggi Province website and introduce AI to citizen-focused services including welfare checks and health management for vulnerable populations.

The province announced the vision of 'Gyeonggi-style Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Change' and said on the 23rd that it will pursue seven major projects during the latter half of the eighth-term provincial government: △development of Pangyo AI City △hosting the Korea International AI Film Festival △360-degree AI Plus Care △Gyeonggi AI Agent 'AI Gyeonggi-In' service provision △AI cluster development △AI Knowledge Industry Belt construction △establishment of (tentative name) AI Innovation Center (4th Industrial Revolution Center).

The province evaluated that during the first half of the eighth-term government, it laid the foundation for customized care, talent development, and policy implementation utilizing AI, including AI elderly companionship services, AI expert workforce development, and establishment of the AI Division. In the latter half, the province will establish Gyeonggi-style artificial intelligence centered on seven major projects to expand citizen-centered AI services and strengthen global competitiveness.

The seven major projects to be pursued by Gyeonggi Province are as follows:

First, the province plans to develop the 'Pangyo AI City' in Pangyo Techno Valley that will serve as a hub for AI technology development and industry fostering. At Pangyo AI City, an 'AI Technology Trust Zone' will be established in cooperation with related organizations to analyze and utilize sensitive data such as healthcare data that does not exist in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The province plans to provide infrastructure and resources necessary for AI technology development at Pangyo AI City, including GPUs (graphics processing units) and domestic AI semiconductors. Additionally, to foster AI companies in various industrial fields, the province will support AI technology demonstration, AI business model consulting, and creation of AI services utilizing public infrastructure within the province. Furthermore, the province plans to activate the currently operating Gyeonggi AI Campus to cultivate practical AI experts linked with AI experts and big tech companies.

Second, the province will host the 'Korea International AI Film Festival' to promote creative activities using generative AI. The event will consist of a film festival screening and awarding films produced with generative AI technology and professional forums. The inaugural festival will be held at KINTEX on October 25.

Third, the province will pursue '360-degree AI Plus Care,' a vulnerable population care project utilizing AI. As a measure to minimize care gaps for elderly people and developmentally disabled individuals, the province will use AI to check on vulnerable populations' welfare and manage their health. Specifically, the province plans to provide diverse life services including △AI-based prevention and response services for elderly isolation deaths through artificial intelligence making calls to prevent elderly deaths from solitude and manage health △AI care services for severely disabled developmentally disabled individuals △AI health care services where AI checks welfare status, blood pressure, and stress levels for elderly and chronic disease patients.

Fourth is the 'Gyeonggi AI Agent AI Gyeonggi-In' service, an AI chatbot that provides customized policy information to users. The province will develop the chatbot in 2025, provide pilot service on the Gyeonggi Province website, and plans to introduce and expand conversational services prioritizing civil service examination and public announcement information and welfare policies with high search rankings.

Fifth, the 'AI Cluster' provides startup space, education, and technology demonstration for AI startups by connecting information and communications technology (ICT) complexes with universities. Sixth, the province will construct the 'AI Knowledge Industry Belt' by attracting future industries such as AI-based IT, semiconductors, and mobility to the North Suwon Techno Valley and connecting it with industrial complexes within the province. The province plans to foster Gyeonggi Province as the capital of Korea's AI knowledge industry through the AI Cluster and AI Knowledge Industry Belt.

Seventh is the establishment of the '(tentative name) AI Innovation Center (4th Industrial Revolution Center)' through a cooperation agreement between Gyeonggi Province and the World Economic Forum (WEF). In response to an era of rapid technological revolution where opportunities and challenges coexist, the goal is optimal response through public-private cooperation and prevention of polarization, and the province plans to focus support on startups, small and medium-sized, and mid-sized enterprises within the province that lack advanced information capabilities and global competencies.

Kim Hyeon-gon, Vice Governor for Economic Affairs, said, "We will actively introduce AI technology, the core of the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, into provincial administration to improve citizens' quality of life and secure future growth engines for Gyeonggi Province," adding, "We will do our best so that all citizens can equally benefit from AI technology."