City to Invest 28.6 Billion Won in Content Cluster Development
Groundbreaking Ceremony Held, Targeting Completion in Second Half of Next Year
Linked with Ilsan Techno Valley, Broadcast Video Valley, and KINTEX
Securing Early Operational Foundation for the Cluster... Connecting Corporate Occupancy and Commercialization
Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Donghwan Lee) held a groundbreaking ceremony for the 'IP Convergence Content Cluster' at 2705 Daehwa-dong, Ilsanseo-gu on March 3, officially launching the full-scale development of the project.
Lee Donghwan, mayor of Goyang Special City, and other attendees are participating in the groundbreaking ceremony of the "IP Convergence Content Cluster" at 2705 Daehwa-dong, Ilsanseo-gu, on the 3rd. Provided by Goyang City
The ceremony was attended by over 100 participants, including Mayor Donghwan Lee of Goyang Special City, as well as representatives from companies and related organizations in the cultural content sector. Attendees shared updates on the project's progress and discussed future directions for its operation.
This project was initiated after Gyeonggi Province was selected as a metropolitan project site in 2021 through the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's public contest for the 'IP Convergence Content Cluster Development Project.' Following a separate competition among cities and counties, Goyang City was ultimately chosen as the final site.
The cluster will be constructed with a total project budget of 28.6 billion won, comprising one underground level and four above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 5,198 square meters. The first and second floors will house exhibition and experience spaces and content product stores, the third floor will be dedicated to creative and research & development spaces, and the fourth floor will feature office spaces such as corporate offices and a business lounge. The target completion date is set for the second half of next year.
Lee Donghwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, is giving a congratulatory speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of the 'IP Convergence Content Cluster' held on the 3rd at 2705 Daehwa-dong, Ilsanseo-gu. Provided by Goyang City
Mayor Donghwan Lee of Goyang Special City stated, "I hope the groundbreaking of the IP Convergence Content Cluster marks the starting point for Goyang City to take a leap forward, positioning the content industry as a core future growth engine," adding, "We will continue close cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Gyeonggi Province to ensure the smooth completion of the cluster and establish a solid foundation for the growth of content companies."
Strategy for Expanding the IP-Based Content Industry... Establishing a Hub for Content Convergence
The IP Convergence Content Cluster is being developed as a multi-purpose space supporting the creation, production, commercialization, and distribution of various intellectual property (IP)-based content such as webtoons, broadcast media, and games. With exhibition and experience zones, product sales spaces, creative and R&D areas, and corporate occupancy offices, it will be operated as a platform focused on supporting business growth, encompassing product development, production, distribution, and networking functions.
Recently, the content industry has been evolving into a convergence ecosystem that transcends genres, technologies, and industries, centering around the narrative of a single IP (Intellectual Property). The expansion of methods where a content IP progresses from webtoons to dramas, and then to games, metaverse, and merchandise, is accelerating the commercialization pathway. Accordingly, the need to establish a content industry infrastructure that connects the entire process from creation to commercialization is also increasing.
In response to these changes, Goyang City is building an industrial hub for content by linking the entire process of creation, production, commercialization, and distribution around the IP Convergence Content Cluster. In particular, the city plans to leverage regional advantages, such as the presence of broadcasters like EBS, JTBC, and MBN, as well as broadcast video valley, Ilsan Techno Valley, and KINTEX, where content and ICT industry infrastructure are concentrated, to further cluster the content industry base.
Laying the Foundation for Cluster Operation through Preliminary Projects... Supporting Corporate Occupancy and Commercialization
Since 2022, Goyang City has been conducting the 'IP Convergence Content Cluster Preliminary Project' in cooperation with the Goyang Industry Promotion Agency to secure an operational foundation in advance for the cluster. The goal is to discover and accumulate outstanding IPs, thereby establishing a basis that can be linked to corporate occupancy and commercialization after the cluster's completion.
The preliminary project is being implemented in two ways: supporting the production of immersive content utilizing advanced technologies like VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), MR (Mixed Reality), holograms, and digital art, as well as supporting the creation of secondary content and products utilizing companies' proprietary IPs.
Last year, 13 companies were selected to receive a total of 930 million won in support, and 13 convergent content IPs were discovered. In addition, a total of 27 copyrights, including 3 patents, were secured, enhancing the potential for commercialization.
Meanwhile, five immersive content projects produced with this support were showcased to the public at the 'Illusions of Light Space Season 3' demonstration event held at Gallery Nuri in Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center in October last year. Technology convergence content, such as AI-based media art that interacts with audiences in real time, was exhibited, and a total of 4,917 visitors attended the two-week-long event.
Goyang City also plans to continue providing support totaling 1 billion won to 13 companies this year. Through this, the city aims to lay an operational foundation that enables corporate occupancy, content production, and commercialization after the cluster is completed.
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