Gyeonggi Province Partners with Canada's "Centech" for Joint Research to Support Global Expansion of AI Companies

Gyeonggi Province will operate a global joint research and North American local connection program for artificial intelligence (AI) companies based in the province.

On July 9, Gyeonggi Province announced that it will launch the "Global Joint Research and North American Local Connection Program" in partnership with Centech, an innovation startup support organization in Montreal, Canada, to help promising AI companies in the province strengthen their technological capabilities and advance into overseas markets.

Participating companies will stay in North America for at least four weeks and take part in joint research and technology exchanges with institutions such as Centech, the ?cole de technologie sup?rieure (ETS) in Montreal, and the Canadian AI research institute IVADO. During this process, companies will receive on-site support, including technical consulting, joint development, and partner matching, to enhance the completeness of their AI solution technologies and refine functions to meet the demands of the North American market.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

The main program will be conducted in three stages: (1) a preliminary online preparation stage (including company coaching, researcher matching, and joint research planning); (2) conducting joint research and networking based on local stays; and (3) dissemination of results and post-program support (such as result presentations, follow-up consulting, and assistance with market entry).

For this initiative, Gyeonggi Province will select about four AI companies from the province and provide each with up to 40 million KRW to cover actual expenses for participating in overseas joint research and local activities. The program will be managed by the Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology (AICT), with applications opening on July 10 and final selections to be announced at the end of July.

Kim Kibyeong, Director of AI at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "We will actively support Gyeonggi-based AI companies so that they can secure higher technological competitiveness by collaborating with world-class research institutions and establish a practical foundation for global expansion." He added, "We look forward to the active participation of promising AI startups seeking to expand their technological capabilities through global joint research."