Securing Additional Budget Through the First and Second Supplementary Budgets
Gwangju City announced on June 19 that a portion of the budget for the 'Artificial Intelligence (AI) Transformation (AX) Demonstration Valley' (hereafter referred to as AI Phase 2) has been additionally included in the government's second supplementary budget proposal.
The second supplementary budget plan, announced by the government on the same day, includes funding for the construction of a Mobility AX Demonstration Lab as part of the 'AI Phase 2' project. The Demonstration Lab construction project involves purchasing research equipment and other resources in preparation for the implementation of the Phase 2 project.
The city plans to use the funds secured in the second supplementary budget, along with the 45 billion won obtained in the first supplementary budget, to establish demonstration equipment and other infrastructure necessary for advancing the Phase 2 project.
AI Phase 2 is a project that follows Phase 1, which focused on building the initial AI ecosystem, including the National AI Data Center. Phase 2 aims to establish platforms for experimenting with and demonstrating AI technologies, as well as to lay the foundation for commercialization.
Originally, the city planned to implement the Phase 2 project from this year through 2029. However, the project was delayed due to insufficient securing of national funding. The city now intends to fully launch Phase 2 activities, such as building demonstration centers, starting next year if government funding is secured.
Choi Taejo, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Industry Office, stated, "We understand that the Lee Jaemyung administration views Gwangju's plan to become a leading city in artificial intelligence positively and is willing to provide active support." He added, "Based on this supplementary budget, we will ensure that the Phase 2 project proceeds without any setbacks."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
