SK Group said on the 6th that it will hold the "2026 Ulsan Forum" with the Ulsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Ulsan Exhibition and Convention Center (UECO) on the 11th.
The Ulsan Forum began in 2022 when SK Innovation marked its 60th anniversary and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won proposed joining the local community to consider the future of Ulsan, the company's birthplace.
Now in its fifth year, the Ulsan Forum will be held under the theme "Leading AX, smart life Ulsan," seeking regional innovation plans centered on manufacturing artificial intelligence transformation (AX) and everyday artificial intelligence (AI).
The first session will discuss policy measures and execution strategies for a sweeping AI transition in the manufacturing industries that have led Ulsan. Lee Min-woo, director general for industrial growth at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, will deliver a keynote speech on the government's direction for promoting manufacturing AX by fostering regional hubs. The "M.AX Alliance," launched in Sep. last year with participation from manufacturing and AI corporations, universities and research institutes, will share proof-of-concept cases by Ulsan's key industry sectors.
The second session will share a future regional vision in which AI solves community problems and builds an AI ecosystem. Sohn Hae-in, head of education at Upstage, and Lim Min-hyeok, a professor in the Department of Artificial Intelligence Medical Science at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), will give a keynote speech titled "The AI era: intelligence permeating daily life, technology embracing society."
The forum is co-hosted by SK and the Ulsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, the Presidential Committee for Decentralization and Balanced Development, Ulsan Metropolitan City, the Ulsan City Council, the University of Ulsan, UNIST and Ulsan College are sponsors. About 300 local figures, including Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook, Ulsan City Council Chair Lee Young-hae and Ulsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Lee Yoon-cheol, will attend, and the event will be streamed live online.
In addition, in connection with the Ulsan Forum, Ulsan's industrial exhibition, the Ulsan World Advanced Vision Expo (WAVE 2026), will be held concurrently at UECO for three days from the 10th to the 12th. SK Group plans to showcase how the AI capabilities it has built through semiconductors and data centers are being realized on actual manufacturing floors.
An SK official said, "The Ulsan Forum has developed into a platform to discuss industrial and social challenges facing the region and connect them to actionable solutions," adding, "This year, by addressing both the AX transition in manufacturing and the spread of AI in citizens' daily lives, we expect it to serve as an opportunity to make Ulsan's future growth strategy more concrete."