Forum Held to Combine Pohang's Resources and Iksan's National Food Cluster Expertise
New Growth Strategies for the Food Industry Take Off... Over 200 Attend "Win-Win Cooperation Forum"
Pohang, once known as the city of mudflats and blast furnaces, is shedding its old image and reinventing itself as a new "architect of flavor."
On the 28th, Pohang City successfully held the "Pohang Food Industry Win-Win Cooperation Forum" at the Agricultural Education Welfare Center.
The city unveiled an ambitious vision to create a new landscape for K-Food by integrating local agricultural and marine products with food technology. More than 200 participants-including representatives from local food companies, aspiring entrepreneurs, farmers, and officials from organizations and institutions-gathered to discuss sustainable growth strategies for the regional food industry and ways to establish a cooperative governance structure.
Pohang City successfully held the "Pohang Food Industry Win-Win Cooperation Forum" on the 28th at the Agricultural Education Welfare Center. Provided by Pohang City
The forum was organized by Pohang City and the Pohang New Vitality Plus Project Team, hosted by Pohang Technopark, and co-hosted by the Korea Food Industry Cluster Promotion Agency. The event provided an in-depth discussion of policy trends, the industrial ecosystem, business support systems, and possibilities for regional collaboration.
Pohang City has particularly focused on fostering a food industry based on rural resources through the New Vitality Plus Project. In June, the city visited Iksan to benchmark the Korea Food Cluster Promotion Agency and further develop a model for regional specialization projects. This forum was seen as a meaningful opportunity to share the results of these preparations and strengthen the foundation for collaboration among local companies, institutions, and farmers.
The event featured presentations on the business support system of the National Food Cluster, as well as real-world case studies from local action groups and food companies. "Ahop" and "Delight Food" shared their experiences in starting and growing their businesses, as well as strategies for expanding their market reach, demonstrating the potential of the regional industry. This was followed by a panel discussion focused on field challenges such as research and development, HACCP certification, and prototype production, where participants discussed practical directions for inter-agency cooperation.
Building on this momentum, the city plans to continue strengthening the food industry ecosystem by expanding infrastructure for prototype development and production, increasing technical support, and operating programs for startups and scaling up.
In addition, Pohang City will form a "Food Industry Innovation Growth Council" with the Korea Food Industry Cluster Promotion Agency to establish a continuous cooperation system, gradually building a foundation for practical win-win partnerships through joint project development and the signing of MOUs.
Furthermore, the need to establish a "K-Food Global Business Belt" connecting Saemangeum New Port, the National Food Cluster, and Yeongilman New Port was proposed, highlighting the potential for the regional food industry to expand globally.
Lee Hyunju, Director of the Pohang Agricultural Technology Center, stated, "This forum was a meaningful occasion to consider the future of the regional food industry together and to strengthen our foundation for cooperation. Through our collaboration with the Korea Food Industry Cluster Promotion Agency, we will create an ecosystem where local agriculture, food companies, and aspiring entrepreneurs can grow together, and we will continue to build a sustainable industrial foundation."
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