Gwangmyeong Launches Nation's First Policy Research Organization Specializing in Community Asset Building

Gwangmyeong City (Mayor Park Seung-won) has launched the nation's first policy research organization specializing in community asset building.

As part of its first organizational restructuring in the ninth popularly-elected administration, the city established the 'Local Economic Strategy Research Center Team' within the Social Solidarity Economy Division in August, and has begun in earnest work to systematically research community asset building policies and concretize implementation strategies.

At a kickoff meeting for the 'Research project on establishing a local circular economy activation strategy for building community assets' held in the conference hall on the 11th, participants discussed implementation strategies for community asset building to establish a positive local economic circulation structure, key tasks, and performance management measures.

Community asset building is a strategy to create a local circular economy ecosystem where wealth created in the region is consumed, produced, and reinvested within the region, allowing citizens, small business owners, and local enterprises to grow sustainably together.

The city views the establishment of a positive circulation structure—where value created in the region accumulates within the region, and the region's growth leads to growth for various stakeholders including citizens, businesses, public institutions, and anchor institutions—as the foundation for sustainable local development. To systematically research community asset building policies that support this and concretize implementation strategies, the city established the 'Local Economic Strategy Research Center Team.'

First, to establish a local circular economy activation strategy, the city will identify related industry sectors that can promote inter-company transactions and develop strategies to activate transactions.

The city will strengthen coordination between local economic actors to enable production, consumption, and transactions within the region, and will also identify industry sectors that can transition to social solidarity economy enterprises.

Mayor Park Seung-won of Gwangmyeong stated, "The community asset building policy will be an essential growth strategy for Gwangmyeong City during this period of major transformation with the third new city development of Gwangmyeong-Siheung and the creation of Techno Valley," adding "Centered on the Local Economic Strategy Research Center Team, we will establish a foundation for sustainable local development and create a mutually prosperous Gwangmyeong where local achievements lead to growth for citizens and businesses."

Meanwhile, the Local Economic Strategy Research Center Team plans to promote policy research focused on five key areas: △expansion of community assets △expanding public procurement and selective contracting for local enterprises △strengthening the effectiveness of Gwangmyeong Love currency (local currency) policy △facilitating collaboration within the region by local anchor institutions △and activation of social finance.

천의현 대표이사 euihyun@suwonilbo.kr