Suncheon Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu Announces Pioneering a 'New Path' through the 4th Industrial Revolution

Announced Investment Strategy for Future Workforce Development and Platform Construction at Press Briefing

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] Noh Gwan-gyu, mayor of Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do, announced on the 3rd during a New Year's press briefing that he will pioneer a new "First-Class Suncheon Path" by fostering future talent and establishing various platforms to wisely respond to the changes brought by the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The city plans to reorganize the existing "Future Industry Division" into the "New Growth Industry Division" to establish a systematic strategy from nurturing new industries to attracting companies by linking new industry discovery with industrial complex development and corporate attraction.

Additionally, one-stop consultation and support will be provided to various companies seeking new opportunities in the 4th Industrial Revolution in Suncheon.

Various projects will be carried out to achieve carbon neutrality.

Along with fostering magnesium material components for transportation equipment, which are gaining attention as lightweight materials following the expansion of the electric vehicle market, the city plans to expand the magnesium demand market to energy storage and biohealth sectors through the discovery of new national projects by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in 2024, establishing Suncheon as an advanced base for high-function eco-friendly magnesium material and component business development.

Moreover, in the area designated and announced as the first autonomous vehicle pilot operation zone in Jeollanam-do last June, near the National Garden, autonomous vehicle pilot operations will be conducted in connection with the 2023 Suncheonman International Garden Expo to provide eco-friendly smart tourism infrastructure. The city also plans to leap forward as a representative demonstration city for startup cultivation and carbon-neutral technology by building a digital twin-based carbon metering system befitting the brand value of "Korea's Ecological Capital, First-Class Suncheon."

Efforts will also be made to nurture various talents to respond to future new industries.

Through the promotion of creative convergence engineering talent development projects, customized talents tailored to the demands of local industries such as secondary batteries, new materials, and chemicals will be cultivated. By creating the Suncheon National University Campus Innovation Park, the university’s idle land will be developed into an urban high-tech industrial complex to create advanced industry jobs and establish a Suncheon-type economic structure where young people circulate within the region without outflow.

Furthermore, a pseudonymized information utilization support center will be established and linked with the NHN Public Data Cloud Center to build the foundation of Suncheon’s data economy infrastructure.

Pseudonymized information removes personally identifiable information while maintaining as much value as possible from personal data, which is expected to provide great opportunities for local companies conducting business using data.

The city will also take the lead in the green economic transition through the creation of a hydrogen ecosystem.

By establishing a basic plan for fostering the hydrogen economy, a hydrogen industry development plan specialized for Suncheon will be prepared to serve as a new innovative growth engine.

Based on the established plan, various hydrogen industry infrastructures such as hydrogen mobility and charging station distribution, hydrogen production base construction, hydrogen industry and specialized company development, and professional workforce training will be created to move toward a green economic city.

Suncheon City stated, "We will focus on discovering new industry sectors aligned with the government's New Growth 4.0 strategy and concentrate on securing national funding. We will actively respond to the scientific and technological revolution to renew Suncheon’s economic structure and, based on this, actively tackle regional extinction to rise as a first-class economic city."

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr