Incheon bids for W1tr AI connected-car national project

Incheon has entered the race to secure a 1 trillion won ($690 million) national government project as it moves to establish an early lead in the AI-based future mobility industry.

The city has launched a dedicated task force reporting directly to Mayor Park Chan-dae and is accelerating efforts to develop an action strategy for nurturing AI connected-car and cybersecurity industries as core growth engines.

The city held the "AI Connected Mobility Task Force Review Meeting" at the city hall video conference room on Thursday, chaired by Park, to discuss strategies for developing the AI connected-car industry and securing large-scale national government funding.

The meeting was convened to give concrete shape to AI industry development — a key campaign pledge of the ninth directly elected municipal administration — and to review the city's strategy for competing in government project competitions.

Incheon plans to build a business-centered AI connectivity industry ecosystem by leveraging existing infrastructure, including Robot Land and the Cheongna Connected Car Evaluation and Certification Center, linking research and development, demonstration projects and financial investment.

To that end, the city also plans to put in place institutional support measures for businesses, including regulatory improvements, tax incentives and expanded investment incentives.

The city's strategy is to attract large-scale national government projects in AI-based future vehicles and cybersecurity — areas the central government is actively pursuing — and develop Incheon into South Korea's leading hub for the AI connected-car industry.

"Incheon has outstanding accessibility with both an international airport and a seaport, along with relevant infrastructure such as Robot Land, making it ideally positioned to foster the AI connectivity industry," Park said. "We will focus all of our administrative capacity on growing AI connected cars and cybersecurity into new future industries for Incheon and creating an innovation ecosystem that attracts businesses and talent."

Going forward, the city plans to strengthen industry-academia-research cooperation through the task force while simultaneously pursuing government project competitions and corporate investment attraction, pressing ahead to build competitiveness in the AI connected mobility industry.