Hanwha Consortium to Integrate "Future Technology + Carbon Neutrality" in Jamsil MICE Project

Hanwha Consortium plans to apply world-class design to the Jamsil MICE complex space in collaboration with Populous. Populous is the global No.1 design firm in the fields of sports stadiums, arenas, and MICE, known for designing or renovating over 20 Major League Baseball stadiums, including Yankee Stadium, a symbol of the U.S. Major League. In the UK, they designed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, home to soccer player Son Heung-min. The photo shows Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the UK, designed by Populous.

On the 3rd, the Hanwha consortium, which has entered the competition for the 'Seoul Jamsil Sports & MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) Complex Development Project' (hereinafter referred to as the Jamsil MICE Project), announced plans to integrate advanced future technologies and carbon neutrality into the project.

The Hanwha consortium's strategy is to develop the Jamsil MICE Project not merely as a second COEX construction project but as a new center of Seoul and a future-oriented complex representing the Republic of Korea.

The Jamsil MICE Project is designed to maximize private sector creativity and efficiency by eliminating preferential scoring for initial proposers. Each consortium will compete solely based on the competitiveness of their phase two business plans. Insight into the future is essential, rather than relying on outdated development plans based on old business models.

The Hanwha consortium will showcase future technologies through direct investments from technology operators such as Hanwha Systems, Nexon, and Megazone, which possess advanced technologies. They plan to implement a smart complex in Jamsil featuring a metaverse that integrates online and offline, performances and exhibitions that transcend virtual and reality, an integrated platform connecting facilities organically, autonomous shuttles, and Urban Air Mobility (UAM).

Additionally, the Hanwha consortium aims to maximize public interest and proactively realize a sustainable city by promoting a carbon-neutral complex with a renewable energy self-sufficiency rate more than twice the mandatory ratio. To this end, they will consolidate the technological capabilities of hydrogen-related affiliates within the Hanwha Group, establishing an urban hydrogen value chain that includes hydrogen production, transportation, compressed storage, power generation, and hydrogen refueling, alongside traditional renewable energies such as solar power.

Creating social value is also a key goal. By providing startup support offices and MICE hub spaces, they plan to revitalize the local area through the concentration of MICE-related industries, enhance public benefits through linkage with existing commercial districts, mutual support, and big data sharing.

Aerial view of the site for the Jamsil Sports and MICE complex private investment project

The design will also be distinctive. The Hanwha consortium plans to collaborate with Populous to complete world-class designs for the convention facilities within the complex, Jamsil Baseball Stadium, and multipurpose sports facilities. Populous is the world's leading design firm in sports stadiums, arenas, and MICE sectors, famous for designing or renovating over 20 Major League Baseball stadiums, including the iconic Yankee Stadium in the United States. In the UK, they designed the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where soccer player Son Heung-min plays.

Hanwha Group, leading the Hanwha consortium, along with HDC Group affiliates, will serve as the central coordinating body responsible for accountable operations over 40 years as the main operator holding the largest stake, rather than a simple subcontracting form focused solely on construction profits. Furthermore, the Hanwha consortium actively encouraged participation from competitive partners by structuring the operating investors' shares, which are key to successful operations, to constitute more than half of the total.

Moreover, Kintex, which secured a 20-year operating right for India's largest convention center (New Delhi, the fourth largest in Asia) and has know-how in operating the largest exhibition and convention space in Korea?three times the size of COEX?participates to further enhance competitiveness.

Meanwhile, the Jamsil MICE Project is a private development project on a 357,576㎡ site around Jamsil Sports Complex in Songpa-gu, Seoul, creating convention facilities three times the size of COEX, a baseball stadium, multipurpose sports facilities, swimming pools, and water leisure facilities. Ancillary facilities will include hotels, cultural and commercial facilities, and office spaces. The project cost is 2.1672 trillion KRW, fully funded by the private sector, with investment recovery through 40 years of operation under a BTO (Build-Transfer-Operate) model.