World Economic and Science Cities Alliance Inaugurated... First President Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon

Promoting Civil Servant Exchange, Startup Expansion, and University Pilot Projects

(From left) Martin Van Der Puyten, Director of International Relations, Dortmund, Germany; Mark Elrich, Montgomery County Executive; Jangwoo Lee, Mayor of Daejeon; Alicia Izquierdo, Deputy Mayor of Malaga, Spain; Rebecca Robel, Vice President of Seattle Economic Development Corporation / Daejeon City

The inaugural ceremony of the World Economic and Science Cities Alliance, led by Daejeon City, concluded with a commitment to developing an innovative global platform among cities.

Following the inauguration on the 3rd, a representatives' meeting was held on the morning of the 4th to address key agenda items and decide on future operational plans. Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon, was elected as the first president of the alliance, and Marc Elrich, Mayor of Montgomery County, was elected as vice president.

As the president of the alliance, Daejeon City proposed organizational operations, the frequency of forums and meetings, the role of the secretariat, and intercity cooperation projects, all of which were agreed upon by the founding city representatives.

Additionally, each city agreed to serve as an economic cooperation platform for the alliance, aiming to develop it into a new form of global platform.

Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon, stated, "If necessary, we will recruit three to four additional cities by 2026, keeping the number of members within ten. The president will be elected every two years to maintain open governance."

Joint implementation projects that can strengthen cooperation among members and yield tangible results have also begun to take shape.

In 2025, pilot projects will include personnel exchanges with Montgomery County, USA; support for deep-tech startups entering the North American market with Seattle; and exchange programs in specialized academic fields with Dortmund, Germany.

Marc Elrich, Mayor of Montgomery County, USA, said, "We fully support the organizational operations of the alliance proposed by Daejeon City. With the launch of the World Economic and Science Cities Alliance, I hope to see active joint research and exchange in science, technology, and economic fields between Daejeon and other international cities."

Alicia Izquierdo, Deputy Mayor of Malaga, Spain, commented, "Through this inaugural event, Daejeon has taken an important first step in establishing an international science and technology cooperation network and strengthening connections within the global economic ecosystem."

After the representatives' meeting, the international city delegations concluded the World Economic and Science Cities Alliance inaugural event with a visit to KAIST.