Pohang City Leaps Forward as a Clean Metal Materials Industry Hub Based on Green Steel!

Creation of Approximately 2,000 Jobs by 2025, Distribution of 100 Advanced Smart Factories

Pohang Industrial Structure Restructuring to Become a 'Clean Metal Material-Based New Industry Hub Industrial Complex'

Pohang City Hall.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] On the 29th, Pohang City in Gyeongbuk held the ‘Gyeongbuk Industrial Complex Grand Renovation (Pohang Area) Project Vision Declaration Ceremony’ at the POSCO International Hall.

The event was attended by about 100 stakeholders including Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok, Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-young, Yeongcheon Mayor Choi Ki-moon, National Assembly member Kim Byung-wook, provincial council members, university presidents, chairpersons of the Pohang, Gyeongju, and Yeongcheon Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and company representatives.

At this vision declaration ceremony, all parties agreed to strengthen the cooperation system among the private sector, government, academia, and research institutes and to build consensus to successfully promote the project.

The ‘Gyeongbuk Industrial Complex Grand Renovation (Pohang Area) Project’ was selected in April this year as part of the ‘Industrial Complex Grand Renovation Regional Public Contest Project’ led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. From 2023 to 2025, a total of KRW 588.7 billion will be invested in 30 projects, with the vision set as ‘Establishing a Green Steel-based Clean Metal Materials Industry Hub for the Decarbonized Smart Industrial Complex Transformation.’

To promote the project, three major focus tasks, nine implementation tasks, and 30 detailed projects have been established. The main goals include creating about 2,000 jobs, distributing 100 advanced smart factories, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2025. Pohang City expects this to strengthen the competitiveness of the aging industrial complexes in the region, create jobs, and revitalize the local economy.

This project aims to advance the low-carbon steel industry structure and establish a steel recycling system foundation, promoting green steel-based clean metal materials industrialization, strengthening innovation capabilities across the value chain, and proactively transitioning to digital manufacturing innovation, including nurturing smart manufacturing innovation personnel as part of a digital transformation response smart manufacturing new industrialization strategy.

Through tasks such as building an eco-friendly energy platform and improving green infrastructure, the project plans to promote the creation of a decarbonized industrial complex.

Through this, Pohang City plans to build an upgraded industrial infrastructure, reorganize the POSCO-centered industrial structure, and leap forward as a ‘Clean Metal Materials-based New Industry Hub Industrial Complex.’

Additionally, Gyeongju aims to shed its image as a small-scale aging industrial complex by strengthening cooperative links with Pohang and Yeongcheon and establishing an industrial base centered on smart demonstration infrastructure, aiming to reemerge as a global future mobility forward base. Yeongcheon plans to break away from its existing internal combustion engine auto parts industry focus and become a next-generation green parts and materials R&D hub by strengthening R&D cooperation among companies.

Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongbuk said, “This vision declaration ceremony is the first step of the Industrial Complex Grand Renovation Pohang Area project. Through digital transformation and carbon neutrality, we will revitalize the Pohang area economy so that the industrial complex lives, the local region lives, and South Korea lives. Gyeongbuk Province will lead the change proactively.”

Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, “With the Gyeongbuk Industrial Complex Grand Renovation Pohang Area project, Pohang City is expected to break free from the limitations of a steel-centered industrial structure and leap forward as a ‘Clean Metal Materials-based New Industry Hub Industrial Complex.’ We hope that stakeholders from the private sector, government, academia, and research institutes will unite their will for the successful promotion of the project and join us in building a green steel-based clean metal materials industry hub for the great transformation of Pohang and Gyeongbuk.”