World’s Largest Defense and Aerospace Company "Airbus" to Establish Presence in Daejeon

Expansion of R&D Collaboration Platform in Space, Aerospace, and Advanced Technologies
Daejeon City and Airbus Sign Agreement for Tech Hub Establishment and International Cooperation

Photo by Daejeon City Provided

Airbus, the world's largest global defense and aerospace company, is establishing a presence in Daejeon.

On November 18, Daejeon City and Airbus signed a business agreement at Hotel Onoma to strengthen ongoing cooperation for an R&D innovation hub.

With this agreement, Airbus will establish its fourth tech hub globally in Daejeon, following Singapore, the Netherlands, and Japan. This move is symbolic, as Airbus is expanding its technology innovation base in Asia to Korea and has chosen Daejeon as its global R&D center.

The Airbus Tech Hub is an R&D platform established in major countries worldwide, serving as a core research space where key technical capabilities are leveraged to launch projects in areas such as future aircraft technology, advanced communication solutions, and energy system development.

The tech hub established in Daejeon will serve as a pillar of Airbus’s global R&D ecosystem, operating with the goal of joint research and technological innovation based on industry-academia-research collaboration. In particular, it is expected to generate tangible technology exchanges and synergies through connections with universities, research institutes within the special zone, and innovative companies.

Airbus chose Daejeon because of its world-class research capabilities built up over more than 50 years, global-level infrastructure such as KAIST and ETRI, and policies focused on fostering advanced strategic industries including defense, aerospace, semiconductors, quantum technology, and robotics-all of which align with Airbus’s core areas of interest.

Photo by Daejeon City

In addition, Daejeon City began engaging with Airbus senior executives at the 2024 Singapore Airshow, and in May of the same year, Airbus executives visited Daejeon to meet with Mayor Lee Jangwoo, sharing the city’s science and technology foundation and its vision as a global innovation city. After continuous exchanges and practical discussions with Airbus, this agreement was reached.

With the establishment of this tech hub, Daejeon has gained momentum to take a significant leap as a global innovation base for the space, aerospace, and defense industries. The tech hub is expected to facilitate international cooperation among space, aerospace, and advanced technology companies, and to expand as a research and development collaboration platform between Korea and Airbus.

Going forward, Daejeon City plans to foster an open innovation ecosystem centered on the tech hub, enabling companies, startups, and research institutes to collaborate with Airbus, and to expand cooperation into next-generation innovative industries such as future mobility, green energy, quantum technology, and AI.

Choi Seonga, Deputy Mayor for Political, Economic, and Science Affairs of Daejeon City, emphasized, "The establishment of the Airbus Tech Hub in Daejeon will be a turning point for the city to grow into a global hub for national research and development. We will spare no effort in providing multifaceted support so that local companies can participate in international joint research with Airbus and strengthen their competitiveness in the global market."