Hanwha(000880) will begin cultivating talent as the first step in building an artificial intelligence (AI) and aerospace industry ecosystem in the southeastern region.
Hanwha Aerospace(012450)·Hanwha Ocean(042660)·Hanwha Engine(082740) on the 12th signed a "southeastern regional talent development agreement" with Gyeongsang National University, Pusan National University, and Changwon National University at the Hanwha Aerospace R&D Center in Changwon, South Gyeongsang. It is part of the $55 trillion plan for AI and aerospace investment in Yeongnam that Kim Dong-Kwan, vice chairman of Hanwha Group, laid out last month.
Under the agreement, Pusan National University will launch a Hanwha contract department (provisional name "advanced mechanical systems engineering"). Gyeongsang National University and Changwon National University will establish quota-based master's programs to intensively train AI talent. Selected students will receive tuition support and living stipends and will be given internship opportunities. After graduation, following separate procedures, they will work at one of Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Ocean, or Hanwha Engine.
Hanwha plans to build on-site training programs and joint research with the three universities. The plan is to create an industrial ecosystem in the southeast with three pillars: nurturing regional talent, boosting the technological capabilities of partner firms, and growing alongside startups.
About 100 people attended the event, including South Gyeongsang Gov. Park Wan-su, Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo, the presidents of the three universities, and the heads of the three Hanwha affiliates.
Kim Hee-cheul, head of Hanwha Ocean, said, "Hanwha will continue to be a reliable partner that grows with the region and builds the future."