Uljin County Leading Domestic Production of 'Submarine Gliders' "Will Reemerge as a Marine Science Hub City"

Selected by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries... Kyungpook National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation to Develop Until 2024
Also Linked to the 'Marine Digital Monitoring Network Construction Project' with 100 Billion Won Investment

Conceptual diagram of the marine observation and monitoring network linked with underwater gliders in Uljin-gun.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] The 'East Sea Marine Science Cluster Development' project, which focuses on the localization of core components and equipment of underwater gliders that have relied entirely on imports, is steadily progressing in Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk.

According to Uljin-gun on the 19th, after being finally selected in April for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' public contest for the development of core components and equipment technology for underwater gliders and the establishment of an operation center, they plan to build the operation center at the Gyeongbuk Marine Science Research Complex (GMSP).

Out of the total project cost of 22.7 billion KRW, Uljin-gun has secured 1 billion KRW for the first year’s research and development expenses and has commissioned the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation of Kyungpook National University to complete the technology development by 2024.

Once the core components and equipment of underwater gliders are developed with domestic technology, it is expected to enable low-cost, high-quality marine observation information production by expanding the observation area from coastal buoy monitoring limitations to offshore and deep-sea areas.

The project cost for the 'Marine Digital 4.0 Disaster Safety Monitoring Network Construction Project,' which involves installing large marine buoys and underwater centers for observation along the East Coast, amounts to 100 billion KRW. After completing a planning research service in September by Gyeongbuk Province, Uljin-gun explained that they are currently consulting with multiple ministries including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Korea Meteorological Administration, and the Navy to promote it as a multi-agency project.

Jeon Chan-geol, the county governor, emphasized, "The sea is an unexplored area for humanity with infinite value, and compared to land, it has higher development potential, so the marine industry market size continues to grow," adding, "We will continue to lead the marine industry and become the center city of marine science in the Republic of Korea."