Busan selected for smart port mobility platform project

Busan has been selected for a government-funded automotive technology development project called "Autonomous Driving-Based Smart Port Mobility Platform Technology Development," organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the city announced Thursday.

The Korea Automobile Research Institute and Busan Port Authority will jointly lead the project, with nine companies and organizations participating across specialized fields: Smart M2M, MTR, Sungwoo Hitech, Hyosung Electric, Chaevi, Cyberlogitec, Onmakers, Wearby and Ace Works Korea.

With the selection, the city will invest a total of 45.46 billion won ($32.1 million) — comprising 20 billion won in national funds, 15 billion won in city funds and 10.46 billion won in private investment — over 42 months through 2029 to pursue three integrated sub-projects aimed at port automation and unmanned operations.

The Korea Automobile Research Institute and Busan Port Authority will jointly conduct pilot demonstrations at Busan New Port. Through three sub-projects led respectively by the Korea Automobile Research Institute, Smart M2M and MTR, the initiative will develop core technologies including AI-based integrated control and verification, port-specific autonomous driving with beyond-line-of-sight perception and megawatt-class automatic charging, and electrification of autonomous mobile robots for round-the-clock unmanned operations.

The project will also work to build a foundation for entering the UAE's Khalifa Port smart port system, boosting the global competitiveness of domestically developed smart port platforms while proactively securing advanced logistics capabilities ahead of the anticipated Arctic shipping era.

Mayor Jeon Jae-soo pledged to "push ahead without delay from technology development through demonstration and commercialization, doing our utmost to build a sustainable future port mobility ecosystem."