Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae Meets Île-de-France President Valérie Pécresse to Discuss Cooperation

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae met with Valérie Pécresse, president of Île-de-France, on the 16th at Dodamso to discuss ways to expand exchanges and cooperation between the two regions.

This meeting was held to mark the 10th anniversary of Gyeonggi Province and Île-de-France establishing a friendly cooperation relationship in 2016. The two regions are representative capital areas of South Korea and France, respectively, and have commonalities and cooperation potential in various fields.

In particular, at this meeting, a 'Joint Action Plan for Gyeonggi Province-Île-de-France' was signed, which encompasses cooperation based on the exchanges of the past 10 years and outlines future cooperation directions. The action plan includes cooperation in the fields of economy, science and technology innovation, youth and education, sustainable development and transportation, tourism and culture, and international cooperation.

Governor Choo Mi-ae said, "Gyeonggi Province and Île-de-France are the most optimal partners in that they are representative capital areas leading the nation's economy, industry, and science and technology, with similar scales and conditions, allowing us to directly apply each other's policy experience. I hope that based on the trust built over the past 10 years, the two regions will develop into a more solid cooperative relationship. In particular, I would like to create substantive cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence, startups, and mobility by connecting each region's strengths."

President Pécresse said, "Gyeonggi Province and Île-de-France are innovation hubs representative of Korea and France, respectively. This joint action plan reflects the resolve of both sides to develop the strengths of both regions into specific cooperative projects and further strengthen strategic cooperation, thereby creating new opportunities for businesses, researchers, and innovators."

Both sides also discussed cooperation possibilities focusing on fields where the two regions have strengths, such as artificial intelligence (AI), advanced industries, startups, and future mobility.

Gyeonggi Province has an artificial intelligence, digital, and startup ecosystem centered on Pangyo Techno Valley and is expanding its semiconductor industry ecosystem centered on Yongin and Pyeongtaek. Île-de-France is a representative research and innovation hub in Europe, with approximately 40% of France's total research and development concentrated there, and is densely populated with universities, research institutions, and global companies, including Paris-Saclay, a science and technology innovation cluster.

Both sides agreed to expand exchanges between businesses and research institutions and support for business expansion through major innovation events, and to share experiences and policies in the future mobility sector, including public transportation, autonomous driving, hydrogen vehicles, and AI-based traffic management.

Since establishing a friendly cooperation relationship in November 2016, Gyeonggi Province and Île-de-France have engaged in exchanges in various fields including startups and science and technology. In particular, they have continued cooperation to link the innovation ecosystems of both regions through participation of Gyeonggi Province companies in VivaTech (technology exhibition) and science and technology exchanges with Paris-Saclay.

Meanwhile, President Pécresse and her delegation visited Hwaseong Haenggung and Gyeonggi Provincial Library on the same day and experienced autonomous vehicles at the Anyang Smart City Integration Center, touring the history, culture, and future industry sites of Gyeonggi Province. Île-de-France also donated 16 books introducing the region's history and cultural heritage to the Gyeonggi Provincial Library.