Kakao Group and the four major institutes of science and technology—the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), and the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)—said on the 23rd they will establish Kakao AI Sail, a promotion body to foster regional AI talent and corporations.
Kakao Group said on the 23rd it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for AI talent development with the four institutes at the KAIST Academic and Cultural Center in Daejeon, with Minister Bae Kyung-hoon of the Ministry of Science and ICT attending.
The agreement is the first step to fully launch regional AI talent development and startup support based on the 50 billion won AI development fund Kakao Group released in September last year. It is also in line with the Four Institutes of Science and Technology AX Strategy for regional talent development and AX innovation that the Ministry of Science and ICT released at the 5th Meeting of Ministers Related to Science and Technology on the 12th.
Under the agreement, Kakao AI Sail will aim to build an AI ecosystem and accelerate industrialization in non-capital regions that have been relatively marginalized in AI investment and infrastructure. In particular, it will actively support regional AI corporations in expanding overseas. The name of the new body reflects the intention to help AI talent and corporations overcome the waves of regional limitations and leap into the global market, like a sail catching wind and propelling a ship into the open sea.
The main activities to be launched by Kakao AI Sail include: on-site AI talent development centered on the institutes; startup support by matching Kakao's human and technical asset; and AX promotion focused on industry-academia cooperation to solve issues in regionally specialized industries. Through this, it plans to build a virtuous-cycle model for balanced regional growth based on AI.
In particular, it aims to discover 100 AI startup teams by 2030 and foster them into innovative corporations with global competitiveness. It will support the commercialization of deep tech capabilities held by the four institutes and actively help on-site, problem-solving talent to launch startups.
Chung Shin-a, chair of Kakao Group, said, "With the advent of the AI era, one-person corporations now have the opportunity to accelerate into global unicorns," adding, "Kakao Group will serve as a sturdy sail so that AI innovative corporations can continue to emerge in the regions and branch out to the world."