The Gwangju industrial district, thanks to its Special Economic Zone, is becoming South Korea’s new hub for artificial intelligence (AI), the automotive industry of the future, and green energy.
Operations at the National AI Data Centre began in November 2023. High-Performance Computing (HPC) services for the development of large-scale AI models were later made fully operational: infrastructure that enables the learning, analysis, and use of big data. The Center serves as an AI research hub for companies in the sector. Today, Gwangju is home to 299 companies, 158 of which have offices and research centres, and aims to exceed 1,000 by 2029.
Initiatives are underway to train AI experts through the “Talent Development Strategy 2030,” which complements existing programs such as the AI Academy. The goal is to train 810,000 new professionals in the fields of AI, digital, semiconductors, and culture. The roadmap, which also includes the arrival of experts from abroad, is involving 87 organizations, including educational institutions, companies, and public bodies.
The district has also attracted Bitgreen, an industrial complex for the production of new means of transport. Jingok, a plant dedicated to the development and production of components for self-driving cars, will be built next door, with the aim of creating a cluster specializing in materials, components, and equipment for next-generation vehicles. Gwangju aims to become a hub for future mobility, testing technologies such as autonomous boats, intelligent bus systems, and robots for monitoring water quality
The project for the Smart Green Energy Industrial Complex I and II within the Special Economic Zone is attracting companies active in smart grids based on the convergence of energy and ICT. The district is already home to leading research institutions, including the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI). Thanks to key infrastructure such as the Energy Industry Support Center, Gwangju is turning into a hub for energy convergence, connecting research, development, and industry and promoting the marketing of new technologies.
In the coming years, a next-generation energy system will be developed that will combine artificial intelligence and distributed energy technologies. Based on local production and consumption, the system will create an energy grid connected to the national grid, thus becoming a reference model for the global RE100 initiative, which aims to use only electricity from renewable sources.
Even startups, at every stage of their journey, can benefit from the Gwangju hub’s support. The Gwangju AI Startup Camp has been operational since 2020, and the Gwangju AI Investment Fund, with an endowment of $80 million, has been established. From training and mentoring to early-stage consulting, young companies receive ongoing support for testing, product refinement, and domestic and international marketing.
