Seong Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy (wearing a yellow tie, fifth from the left), attends the groundbreaking ceremony of the "Smart Manufacturing Demo Factory" held at the Changwon Agricultural Technology Center in Gyeongnam on the 20th and poses for a commemorative photo. To Minister Seong's right is Kim Kyung-soo, Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do, and to his left is Heo Seong-moo, Mayor of Changwon. (Photo by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)
[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] One of the Korean New Deal projects, the 'Smart Industrial Complex,' made its debut in Changwon City. Changwon is considered the optimal location to promote the Smart Green Industrial Complex project, as it simultaneously possesses a solid machinery industry infrastructure and renewable energy facilities such as hydrogen and gas turbines.
On the 20th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held the 'Changwon Smart Green Industrial Complex Smart Manufacturing Demo Factory Groundbreaking Ceremony' at the Changwon Agricultural Technology Center.
In September, President Moon Jae-in personally visited the Changwon industrial complex and announced plans to increase the number of Smart Green Industrial Complexes from 7 this year to 15 by 2025, with Changwon marking the start.
The Changwon Smart Manufacturing Demo Factory project is led by the Korea Electronics Technology Institute. It is a three-year project from last year to next year with a budget of 35 billion KRW to build the factory. The factory will consist of two buildings. The 'Demo Building' is scheduled to be completed early next year, and the 'Test Building' by the end of next year.
The Smart Manufacturing Demo Factory is one of the ten major projects of the Smart Green Industrial Complex. It is an 'open testbed' incorporating advanced information and communication technologies (ICT) such as data, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital twins.
Therefore, it is expected to contribute to increasing corporate productivity and advancing key industries.
It also has good synergy with the region's main industries such as machinery, aerospace, and defense. Digital twin-based manufacturing facilities related to these industries will be established, and parts and equipment evaluation systems will be developed, accelerating the smart transformation of companies and the entire industrial complex.
Changwon has a concentration of hydrogen and gas turbine domestic production industrial facilities, giving it the potential to become a 'renewable energy city' in the future.
Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, which plays a significant role in domestic gas turbine production, has its headquarters in Changwon.
In May, Korea Gas Corporation selected Changwon City, along with Gwangju Metropolitan City, as a 'hub-type hydrogen production base.'
In June last year, the country’s first official hydrogen bus route was launched here.
This means it is one of the few cities capable of handling the Smart Green Industrial Complex, renewable energy transition, and regional New Deal projects all at once.
Seong Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, "The groundbreaking ceremony is a significant starting point for the Smart Green Industrial Complex," and evaluated that "Changwon is becoming a symbol of the Korean New Deal as a leading region of the Smart Green Industrial Complex."
He added, "In particular, I hope that the Changwon industrial complex will continue to play an active role as the 'vanguard' of the Smart Green Industrial Complex, pioneering the future of our economy."
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to continue accelerating related projects such as digital transformation of industrial complexes, low-carbon and high-efficiency energy innovation, and eco-friendliness to promote the Smart Green Industrial Complex.
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