Global AI experts are gathering in Wonju, which has established itself as a hub for medical AI in East Asia.
Wonju city will host "Next AI Wonju" (NEXT AI 2026 WONJU), an international advanced-technology event, at venues across the city including Oak Valley and Hotel Interbulgo on Wednesday and Thursday.
The event is designed to help Wonju expand its industrial reach from medical AI into physical AI, building on its dominant position in Asia's medical device and digital healthcare sectors, while deepening cooperation with global AI companies and institutions.
Held for the first time this year, Next AI Wonju will be organized around the theme "Medical Meets Physical AI."
Global AI and advanced-technology companies including Nvidia, Supermicro and Zeiss, along with domestic and international experts, are set to participate, share their visions for the future of AI technology and industry, and explore avenues for collaboration.
"We will seize new industrial opportunities spanning medical AI to physical AI by combining AI with the medical device and digital healthcare foundation that Wonju has built up over the years," Wonju Mayor Ku Ja-yeol said. "We will develop NEXT AI WONJU into a global platform where world-class AI companies and experts come to Wonju to discuss future technologies and industries and forge real partnerships."
Ahead of the main forum, a pre-event networking reception will be held Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Fioretto in Oak Valley's Seongmunan area, bringing together representatives from major domestic and international AI companies and institutions as well as global speakers.
At the reception, Wonju city, Supermicro and Leadtek will sign an MOU on building AI computing infrastructure and an industrial ecosystem.
Under the agreement, the three parties plan to establish a stable supply base for AI computing infrastructure and strengthen the competitiveness of the local AI industry.
The Global AI Forum will open Thursday at 10 a.m. at the convention hall of Hotel Interbulgo Wonju, with participation from global companies and experts including Nvidia, Supermicro, Zettabyte, Zeiss, Acer Medical, Advantech, QISDA and iFLYTEK Healthcare.
The forum will cover AI talent development and computing infrastructure, as well as the convergence of medical AI and physical AI and directions for industrial application, with discussions focused on how AI technology can be deployed in real-world industrial settings.
One-on-one global business matching sessions will also connect domestic and international companies with medical institutions, creating opportunities for concrete technology and business cooperation based on each company's capabilities and partnership needs.
The forum is also linked to Wonju's flagship Gangwon Province medical and wellness AI transformation project. The city's strategy is to integrate AI into its medical device and digital healthcare base, building an industrial ecosystem that covers the full cycle — from development and demonstration to commercialization of medical AI technology — and to use that foundation to expand into physical AI.
Wonju is home to a concentration of medical device and digital healthcare companies as well as health-related public institutions including the National Health Insurance Service and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The city plans to leverage these strengths alongside AI technology to raise the competitiveness of its medical AI industry and broaden cooperation with global companies.
Wonju city plans to build on this inaugural event and develop Next AI Wonju into a leading global AI platform. The city intends to address core AI technology and industry issues each year and translate its network of global companies and experts into tangible industrial cooperation — spanning technology partnerships, joint research, talent development, and demonstration and commercialization.
abc@heraldcorp.com
