Selection and Announcement of Airbus ITC Establishment Location Within the Year
Lee Seung-ryeol, Director General of the Industrial Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, is taking a commemorative photo with Francisco Segura, Chief Operating Officer of Airbus DS, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the establishment of the Airbus ITC (International Technology Centre) in Korea at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry's main conference room in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 10th. Photo by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
On the 10th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that Lee Seung-ryeol, Director of the Industrial Policy Office, and Francisco Segura, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Airbus DS, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the establishment of the Airbus International Technology Center (ITC) in Korea. Airbus DS is the aerospace and defense business division of Airbus. Representatives from government-funded research institutes and companies such as LIG Nex1 also attended the MOU signing ceremony.
In the MOU, both parties agreed to cooperate on the domestic establishment of Airbus ITC and research and development (R&D). Airbus ITC will be the first R&D center established by Airbus in Korea and is expected to expand as a platform for R&D cooperation between Korea and Airbus (including commercial aircraft and helicopters) in the future.
Both parties plan to jointly develop an operational model during the MOU period and secure the independence of Airbus ITC. Airbus will collaborate with domestic industry stakeholders to discover and nurture projects aligned with its strategic vision. Airbus plans to select and announce the location for the ITC establishment within this year.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy explained that since the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy requested the establishment of an R&D center in Korea during a meeting with the CEO of Airbus DS in November 2022, several bilateral working-level meetings have been held, leading to the signing of the MOU for the establishment of Airbus ITC in Korea.
Lee Seung-ryeol, Director of the Industrial Policy Office, stated, "Through the domestic attraction of Airbus ITC, we expect to secure a global cooperation hub in the aerospace, space, and defense sectors," adding, "We will also link and promote global R&D with Airbus."
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