Gyeongbuk Province to Operate ICT Research Center at Kumoh National Institute of Technology ... Training Research Personnel Among Employees

Ministry of Science and ICT Selected for 'Grand ICT Research Center' Project
Secures 15 Billion KRW in National Funding... Total 18.2 Billion KRW to be Invested by 2028

The front gate of Kumoh National Institute of Technology.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] Gyeongsangbuk-do has been selected for the 'Grand ICT Research Center' contest project promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT to nurture regional innovative talents in the ICT field, securing 15 billion KRW in national funding.

According to Gyeongbuk Province on the 5th, the Grand ICT Research Center project targets employees of local companies with a high understanding of the field, aiming to provide innovative education and train industrial research personnel in the intelligence sector. The executing institution, Kumoh National Institute of Technology ICT Convergence Specialized Research Center, will invest a total of 18.2 billion KRW including local government funds and private capital, and will be responsible for intelligence innovation education and research in a two-phase project until 2028.

Selected in 2020 as the Northeast region (Gyeongbuk, Gangwon, Daegu) hub center, Gyeongsangbuk-do, together with the executing institution Kumoh National Institute of Technology ICT Convergence Specialized Research Center, will invest a total of 18.2 billion KRW including local government funds and private capital to operate intelligence innovation education courses focusing on AI, big data, and more for local companies until 2028.

The education will focus on the civil-military ICT convergence field, a strength of the Gumi area. The civil-military ICT convergence field includes areas such as display electrical and electronic components, digital sensors, IoT-based smart devices, and ICBM (IoT·Cloud·Big data·Mobile)-based convergence devices, allowing for broad educational offerings.

The distinction of this project from existing university support projects lies in including education for local employees as a main business content and institutionalizing the participation of employees in intelligence innovation research. The Gumi industrial complex, which has the largest inland industrial complex, houses about 3,300 companies and 96,000 workers, making it suitable for joint research promotion and specialized training for employees through close industry-academia cooperation with local companies.

Additionally, to alleviate the concentration in the metropolitan area, 80-90% of tuition fees are supported for employees of small and medium-sized enterprises centered on regional hub universities (80% for medium-sized enterprises, 90% for small enterprises), and after obtaining a degree, they are required to work for local companies for at least one year. Currently, 58% of domestic master's and doctoral graduates are concentrated in the metropolitan area, and the retention rate of non-metropolitan university graduates within the region is only 31.7%.

Jang Sang-gil, Director of the Science and Industry Bureau of Gyeongbuk Province, said, "With the selection of the Grand ICT Research Center contest project as an opportunity, we will nurture experts in core technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution in the Gyeongbuk region and support the establishment of a virtuous cycle system of talent development and fostering strong small and medium enterprises by having these talents remain in Gyeongbuk and develop local companies into strong enterprises."