ABC Industry-Centered Redesign in 2026
Advancing the Co-Growth Model for Companies and Youth
The Andong-Type Job Project, jointly promoted by Kyungpook National University and Andong City over the past four years, has delivered remarkable results in strengthening the competitiveness of local companies and nurturing young talent, earning recognition as a model case for regional job innovation.
Based on accumulated data and proven achievements, the project team has declared 2026 as the year of a renewed leap for the ABC industries-Agrifood (A), Bio (B), and Culture & Tourism (C)-and will fully implement advanced strategies across all sectors.
◆ 384 Companies and 927 Skilled Professionals in Four Years... 444 Youth Jobs Created
The Andong-Type Job Project is a model that integrates company support, startup incubation, R&BD, talent development, and internships into a single structure, based on the region's strategic industries: bio, vaccines, hemp, smart farming, AI, and culture & tourism.
Centered around Kyungpook National University and Andong City, the project has established an industry-academia-research-government cooperation system, enabling close connections between the industrial field and educational sites.
From 2021 to 2024, 384 companies and 30 startups received support, and 927 skilled professionals were trained. Of the 204 on-site interns, the employment linkage rate was 38% and the job retention rate was 59%, resulting in a total of 444 youth jobs created-these are regarded as key achievements in the local youth settlement model.
There have also been significant technological and industrial outcomes, including 88 intellectual property rights and the attraction of 12 companies. The total investment of 19.7 billion won over the past four years has been credited with directly contributing to the expansion of the regional industrial base.
◆ 64.8% of Responding Companies Reported "Sales Growth"... 79.1% Maintained or Increased Employment
In a survey of 56 companies during the performance management period, 64.8% reported increased sales and 79.1% maintained or expanded employment. Cases of students advancing to related majors or finding jobs through high school and university-linked education were also consistently observed.
There were also clear effects in talent development: 17 people found jobs or started businesses in the culture and tourism sector, 5 university-linked job placements or startups, 32 cases of certification acquisition, and a 33% advancement rate to related majors from high school education.
◆ 2026, the Final Year of the "Enhancement Phase"... Launching ABC Industry-Centered Redesign
The 2025 diagnostic assessment identified the need to establish a KPI system for each project, regularize practical consultative bodies, restructure the industrial framework in the mid- to long-term, and discover anchor companies.
Accordingly, the project team will implement an advanced plan starting in 2026. The main changes are as follows:
Intensive investment in R&BD and enhancement of the full-cycle startup support system; introduction of a three-stage growth model-'First Step, Leap, Value UP'-for startups; new support for wages and sales channels for local social enterprises; strengthening technology development in vaccines, hemp, eco-friendly materials, and smart farming; and establishing a next-generation mRNA vaccine production base.
New initiatives will include expanding practical education, such as 35 job-linked internships and 37 field training positions, and broadening youth education programs in the culture & tourism and AI sectors. The restructuring of the industrial framework around the ABC industries is considered a key strategy for the Andong-Type Job Project to enter the next "Completion Phase" (2027-2030).
◆ "Making Andong a Sustainable City of Industry and Jobs"... Declaration to Strengthen Cooperation
Song Junhyeop, head of the Andong-Type Job Project team, stated, "Over the past four years, the Andong-Type Job Project has truly built a foundation for the growth of local companies and created a structural breakthrough for young talent to settle in the region. In 2026, we will further strengthen cooperation among industry, academia, research, and government so that Andong can leap forward as a sustainable city of industrial and job innovation through the advancement of the ABC industries."
Following the completion of the enhancement phase next year, the Andong-Type Job Project aims to establish a sustainable growth model connecting regional industries, youth, and company ecosystems during the "Completion Phase" from 2027 to 2030.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
