Gyeongsan City Holds "2025 Regional Innovation and Co-Growth Forum"... Toward a Future City Where Youth and the Economy Thrive

Seeking Solutions for Regional Issues Together at Yeungnam University
Jo Woonghwan of the Regional Era Committee Stresses the Importance of Industry-Academia-Research Collaboration

Gyeongsan City (Mayor Cho Hyunil) held the "2025 Regional Innovation and Co-Growth Forum" on November 25 at the Siwon Lee Global Convention Hall at Yeungnam University. The event was attended by over 150 participants, including members of the Regional Era Committee (Chairman Kim Kyungsoo), representatives from Gyeongsan City, Gyeongsan City Council, Yeungnam University, professors, and university students.

According to Gyeongsan City on November 27, the forum, held under the theme "My Universe: Future Gyeongsan Policy Dialogue Together," provided an opportunity to explore development directions for transforming local infrastructure into practical growth engines through collaboration between the region and universities in the face of the major crisis of regional extinction.

Jo Woonghwan, Director of the Local Industry and Education Bureau at the Regional Era Committee, delivered a keynote speech on the topic of the "Five Poles, Three Special Zones: National Balanced Growth Strategy." He presented directions for local-led industrial and educational innovation to support balanced growth, emphasizing the importance of industry-academia-research collaboration to foster and retain local talent and to establish a virtuous cycle ecosystem for education, employment, and entrepreneurship.

The subsequent thematic presentations included: ▲ Sharing Gyeongsan City's Regional Development Strategies and Policy Agendas (Im Gyuchae, Head of Economic and Industrial Research at the Gyeongbuk Research Institute); and ▲ Development Strategies for Gyeongsan as a Youth-Oriented City through the Creation of "Culture Imdang Valley" (Professor Lee Heeyong, Yeungnam University). The presentations suggested building core public service infrastructure for sustainable urban development and establishing a Korean-style innovation district-"Culture Imdang Valley"-where technology and culture converge.

During the comprehensive discussion, which included Professor Song Geonseop from Daegu University, Professor Lee Misook from Yeungnam University, and Director Seok Sooyoung from the Gyeongbuk IT Convergence Industry Technology Institute, various expert opinions were shared on growth strategies to lead Gyeongsan City's future.

Gyeongsan City Mayor Cho Hyunil stated, "Regional specialization, which enhances the identity of the region, is achieved through the connection between local universities and strategic industries. I look forward to Gyeongsan becoming a future-oriented city where young people and the economy thrive by establishing a virtuous cycle in which university-trained talent is employed by local companies, and those companies, in turn, collaborate with universities to drive innovation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.