The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on the 29th that it will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the "port automation test bed" construction project at Gwangyang Port on the 30th.
About 150 people, including Minister Hwang Jong-u of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), Hwang Ki-yeon, administrative vice mayor of Gwangju, South Jeolla, and Choi Gwan-ho, president of the Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority (YGPA), as well as the port technology industry and port and logistics officials, are expected to attend the ceremony.
The port automation test bed construction project centers on creating a fully automated container port composed of domestically produced cargo-handling equipment, container transfer equipment, and a port operating system, by investing a total of 772.4 billion won by 2029. Within the Gwangyang Port phase 3-2 container terminal, it will have four berths with an annual handling capacity of 1.36 million TEU (1 TEU is one 20-foot container).
Through this, the plan is to create conditions for the stable introduction of automated ports at domestic ports and to develop the domestic port technology market for equipment and systems, thereby boosting the industry's competitiveness.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) released the "physical AI port strategy" on the 23rd, announcing plans to develop the Gwangyang Port test bed as a forward base for the preemptive introduction and demonstration of physical AI technology. Accordingly, the Gwangyang Port test bed is set to become a next-generation smart port with AI technology, going beyond a simple automated port.
Minister Hwang Jong-u said, "The Gwangyang Port port automation test bed will become a key base leading Korea's physical AI port innovation by strengthening port technology competitiveness and supporting overseas market entry through the use of domestic equipment and systems," and added, "We will actively support the innovation starting at Gwangyang Port so it can lead to improved competitiveness across our ports and the growth of the port technology industry."