The government is accelerating preparations for the infrastructure needed to support the $800 billion southwestern semiconductor mega project. In the shipbuilding sector, it is also promoting a 400 billion won investment to establish AI shipyards to apply artificial intelligence (AI) in production processes.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that Minister Kim Jeong-kwan will visit Gwangju and Mokpo on October 12 to assess the progress of the southwestern semiconductor mega project and the shipbuilding M.AX initiative. This marks the seventh stop in a series of regional inspections.
Minister Kim will first visit the Gwangju military airport, a candidate site for the southwestern semiconductor industrial complex. The mega project aims to develop the region into a semiconductor and AI cluster based on renewable energy.
During his visit, Kim will review plans for the temporary placement of military facilities, the designation and development of the industrial complex, and the supply of electricity and water in collaboration with the Gwangju Metropolitan City, the Air Force, the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Korea Water Resources Corporation. He will also discuss potential obstacles in securing infrastructure for large-scale fabrication plants and strategies to ensure community acceptance.
The government aims to build a regional semiconductor ecosystem by linking semiconductor production facilities with materials, parts, and equipment companies, research and development (R&D), and workforce training. Previously, the government announced plans to allocate up to 6 trillion won of the 20 trillion won financial incentives for administrative integration between Gwangju and Jeonnam specifically for the semiconductor sector. A semiconductor support account will be established within the integrated special city fund to manage investments and infrastructure needs.
Following his visit to Gwangju, Minister Kim will attend the 'Shipbuilding M.AX Alliance Strategy Meeting' in Mokpo. The Shipbuilding M.AX Alliance expands the existing autonomous ship M.AX alliance to encompass the entire ship manufacturing process through collaboration among industry, academia, and research institutions.
On this day, HD Hyundai Samho and Daeya Industry will sign a business agreement for a total investment of 400 billion won to establish an 'AI Autonomous Operation Shipyard Lighthouse Factory' and facilitate the AI transition for local small and medium-sized shipbuilding and equipment companies. They will also announce the 'Growing Together Shipbuilding M.AX Three Flagship Projects' to connect local large shipyards with their partners. Additionally, the 'First Basic Plan for Promoting the Development and Commercialization of Autonomous Ships' will be unveiled, outlining policy directions for autonomous ships through 2035.
Minister Kim will later visit the HD Hyundai Samho Yeongam Shipyard to observe the use of collaborative robots in sub-assembly processes, an AI-based process monitoring platform, welding robots, and multi-legged robots.
Kim stated, "We will ensure that the semiconductor mega project secures the necessary investment infrastructure, including land, electricity, and water, to facilitate timely investments. In the shipbuilding industry, we will apply AI to design and production processes to dramatically improve productivity and the working environment for employees."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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