The government will build an artificial intelligence transformation (AX) ecosystem tailored to each region's industrial structure, centered on the four major institutes of science and technology including KAIST. The plan is to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into regional flagship industries and link talent cultivation with startup support to create innovation hubs in each region.
The Ministry of Science and ICT on the 11th announced the "AX strategy for the four major institutes of science and technology for regional talent cultivation and AX innovation" at the 5th ministers' meeting on science and technology.
The strategy focuses on accelerating the AI transformation of regionally specialized industries through cooperation among the four major institutes, local universities, research institutes, and corporations, and on this basis creating a virtuous cycle in which talent and corporations gather back in the regions.
By region, the plan is to create advanced industry innovation hubs in defense, semiconductors, and bio in the central region by strengthening links with a Government-funded research institute, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), and others centered on KAIST.
In the Honam region, centered on GIST, it will build a cooperation system with major local universities such as the energy-focused university and Chonnam National University, and, based on the AX demonstration valley, work to expand AI use in energy, mobility, and biohealth.
In the Daegyeong region, it will leverage DGIST and the region's large-scale industrial demonstration infrastructure to secure high-reliability AX technologies in future industries such as robots, semiconductors, and healthcare.
In the southeastern region, centered on UNIST, it plans to combine shipbuilding and marine, space and aviation, and materials industries with AI to shift to intelligent autonomous design and production systems.
To support this regional industry-academia-research cooperation model, the government will provide budgets, personnel, and advanced infrastructure, and will push four key tasks centered on industry, talent, startups, and campuses.
First, it will operate an open cooperation model, the "industry-academia AX joint lab," in which the institutes and corporations co-invest, research personnel reside within the institutes, and joint research is conducted. Through this, it aims to strengthen the consolidation between research and development and technology commercialization.
In talent development, along with establishing two new AI science high schools already underway, it will also consider converting around three existing schools into science high schools affiliated with the institutes. It will also focus on securing core talent through AI colleges within the institutes, and starting with KAIST this year, it plans to expand step by step next year to the remaining three institutes and local universities.
Startup support functions will also be strengthened. The government will establish or expand startup institutes at each institute to serve as regional startup hubs, and will work to discover promising prospective entrepreneurs by fostering solo AI founders and creating institute startup funds.
At the same time, it will centralize the graphics processing units (GPUs) owned by the institutes, build an integrated research data leading model that the four institutes can use together, and push to introduce AI agents across administration.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said it will support the implementation of the strategy by expanding the number of full-time faculty and student enrollments, and by expanding AI infrastructure and advanced facilities and equipment, along with budget support.
Bae Kyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "AI transformation is not just the introduction of technology but a key task that will drive balanced national development," adding, "We will fully launch an AX cooperation model centered on the four major institutes to build a structure in which talent nurtured in the regions leads regional innovation."