Changwon Mayor Hong Nam-pyo to Seek 50-Year Innovation Strategies for Changwon in France

5 Nights 7 Days Exchange Visit to Montpellier and Grenoble

Tour of 'Giant Project', Visit to Neutron Science Institute

Nam-pyo Hong, the Mayor of Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam, will embark on a seven-day, five-night visit to two French cities?Montpellier and Grenoble?starting on the 29th, in order to seek innovative strategies for Changwon's next 50 years and to establish a foundation for international exchange and cooperation.

First, on the afternoon of the 30th (local time), Mayor Hong is scheduled to meet with Micha?l Delafosse, Mayor of Montpellier, to discuss various ways to promote exchange and cooperation between the two cities in fields such as education, industry, and the economy. From June 1st, he will visit Grenoble to learn about the "GIANT Project," which has shaped the current Grenoble, and plans to strengthen international cooperation to realize Changwon's vision for the next 50 years by expanding exchanges with local industrial research institutions.

Hong Nampyo, Changwon Special Mayor.

This is the first time Changwon Special City is establishing exchanges with French cities. While the city has formed international friendship city relationships with 36 cities in 17 countries, there had previously been no such relationship with France. Since 2021, the city has been working with the Embassy of Korea in France to foster exchanges with Montpellier, the seventh-largest city in France, in an effort to expand public diplomacy with Europe.

Notably, at the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Congress held in Daejeon in October 2022, both countries' local governments participated in the "Korea-France 2+2 Policy Seminar," where Changwon presented its outstanding policies.

The first stop on this trip, Montpellier, is a city of 300,000 people located on the Mediterranean coast in southern France. Renowned for its thousand-year-old architectural landmarks and art museums, it is also a young city, with about 50% of its population under the age of 34.

Montpellier is known for providing free transportation on six tram lines to facilitate movement for citizens and students, and for its city-led employment and training programs, as well as its efforts to build partnerships with local businesses.

The Changwon delegation will stay in Montpellier for two days, during which they plan to discuss concrete cooperation measures in fields such as bio, IT, and startup support programs.

From June 1st, the itinerary continues in Grenoble, known as the "Silicon Valley of Europe." Grenoble is a city of 160,000 people in southern France, surrounded by the Alps. While it developed as an industrial city from the late 19th century, it began to decline as it fell behind in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

However, in 2008, the city regained its vitality with the launch of the "GIANT Project." Through collaboration between the government, research institutes, and universities, an industrial ecosystem was established that encourages research and entrepreneurship. On average, university students in Grenoble work with companies for one year and five months, and over 80% of graduates are employed by the companies they collaborated with.

Institutions such as the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and other research organizations based in Grenoble share cutting-edge equipment with companies and universities, attracting numerous startups and generating patents each year.

The GIANT Project (Grenoble Innovation for Advanced New Technologies) involves eight institutions, including two national agencies, three research institutes, and three universities.

Mayor Hong has repeatedly cited the case of Grenoble as a role model for Changwon National Industrial Complex 2.0, which was designated last year as the only new national industrial complex candidate site in Gyeongnam.

Changwon aims to create a new industrial complex for the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, equipped with next-generation advanced shared research facilities such as complex beam irradiation facilities available for companies at any time, and a systematic talent development and utilization system in collaboration with local universities. Mayor Hong plans to learn about the success factors of the GIANT Project in Grenoble, assess the local situation through meetings with nuclear officials from the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), and explore opportunities for cooperation.

Mayor Hong stated, "With the success of the GIANT Project, Grenoble is now known as the most creative city in the world and the Silicon Valley of Europe. By emulating Grenoble's success, we will enhance the capabilities of the existing Changwon National Industrial Complex, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and successfully establish the new Changwon National Industrial Complex 2.0, transforming Changwon into the leading industrial city of Northeast Asia."