[Exclusive] Seoul City to Collaborate with Microsoft... Hanselman Heads to AI Hub

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Scott Hanselman, Vice President of the Microsoft (MS) Developer Community, is visiting 'Seoul AI Hub,' Seoul's specialized support institution in the field of AI (artificial intelligence). This visit aims to coordinate cooperative projects between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Microsoft, including building networks and jointly developing services and products utilizing generative AI (Gen AI) technology. Based on this, Seoul plans to enhance the global competitiveness of the 'Seoul AI Hub.'

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 17th, Vice President Hanselman will hold discussions on education and cooperative projects for AI startup employees at the Playground within the 'Seoul AI Hub' located in Umyeon-dong, Seocho-gu, on the 29th. A Seoul city official explained, "Building partnerships with global big tech companies is more necessary than ever for scaling up domestic AI companies," adding, "This event is an opportunity to expand human and technological exchanges with them, as well as to gain synergy in investment and global market development."

Vice President Hanselman currently oversees sharing the latest technology trends and Microsoft's support policies with developers worldwide. In line with the Microsoft AI Tour, on the 30th, he will host 'Microsoft AI Tour in Seoul' under the theme 'Everything about AI for Developers and Engineers.'

The day before, he will visit the 'Seoul AI Hub,' a key base for establishing a global central city. The institution fosters AI talent development, discovers and researches specialized companies, and promotes communication and exchange among AI experts. It also reflects the policy philosophy of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who declared this year as the inaugural year of the AI great transformation era.

Seoul plans to leverage Vice President Hanselman's visit to strengthen the capabilities of domestic AI startups and collaborate on overseas expansion. Representative support includes the entire cycle from business planning for startup ideas to investment linkage and global market development.

On this day, Vice President Hanselman is expected to share insights on know-how in AI company operations, changes in software development environments, and the management conditions that related companies must establish for sustainable growth following the passage of the European Union (EU) AI Act. Taking this opportunity, major domestic companies such as LG Electronics Platform Research Institute will also introduce cases of developer community activation and connections with startup companies.

In the mid-to-long term, Microsoft and the 'Seoul AI Hub' will jointly promote projects. Currently, they are preparing to co-host a 'Generative AI (Gen AI) Startupthon' targeting university student startup clubs nationwide in the AI field. This will be an opportunity for big tech companies and venture firms to collaborate and exchange verification of technologies across the board, aiming to develop new AI services and products.

Additionally, an official network will be established between MS MVPs (Most Valuable Professionals), recognized as top technical experts related to Microsoft products, and resident companies of the 'Seoul AI Hub.' According to Seoul city, this will facilitate sharing know-how for overseas expansion.

Furthermore, they are considering year-round operation of the 'Microsoft Launcher,' which Microsoft runs to support startups. This program provides comprehensive support to domestic startups through various technical and financial benefits.

Seoul plans to continue expanding exchanges with global big tech companies. Since last month, it has been operating the 'AI Startup School with Seoul' to nurture early-stage and prospective entrepreneurs in the AI field in partnership with Google. Seoul is the world's first city to implement such a program, where participants join roundtable events sharing insights from entrepreneurs with successful AI startup founding experiences.

Seoul is also implementing its own support measures. At the beginning of this year’s New Year press conference, Mayor Oh predicted, "Artificial intelligence technology has advanced in Seoul city administration. This year will be the inaugural year when it becomes generalized and widespread." In line with this, Seoul recently announced plans to invest 4.4 billion KRW to support about 400 startups in expanding into 16 countries, including the United States' Silicon Valley. A Seoul city official stated, "To enhance the competitiveness of domestic AI companies, we plan to further expand cooperation with MS," adding, "We expect the scope of activities of the soon-to-open Seoul AI Hub to also increase."