Venture businesses in the South Jeolla Province and Gwangju region gathered to discuss ways to expand local companies' participation in pilot projects and attract investment as the industry shifts toward AI and future mobility.
The Gwangju-South Jeolla Venture Business Association, together with the Gwangju-South Jeolla Women's Venture Association and the Gwangju Industry-Academia Convergence Institute, held the 2026 South Jeolla-Gwangju Innovation Venture Forum at the Holiday Inn Gwangju on Wednesday, the association announced Thursday.
The event was held concurrently with the third leaders forum of the Gwangju Specialized Complex for Self-Driving Car Components. Co-hosted by the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City and the South Jeolla Information and Culture Industry Promotion Agency, the forum drew about 90 participants from related institutions and business organizations.
Noh Hui-wook, head of the innovation strategy unit at the Gwangju Future Mobility Promotion Institute, delivered the keynote address, introducing the AI mobility national pilot city development project — a 1.5 trillion won ($1.12 billion) initiative planned for 2026 through 2032 — and outlining strategies for local companies to take part.
Noh said that for the industrial foundation to translate into business growth, companies must overcome shortfalls in information, funding, talent and market access. He proposed five priority tasks to that end: establishing a one-stop support center for the future mobility transition, providing vouchers for data and AI computing equipment, guaranteeing slots for companies in real-environment pilot projects, linking purchases to public institutions, and connecting businesses with transition investment.
The South Jeolla Provincial Police Agency's industrial technology protection investigation team briefed attendees on cases of trade secret leaks and how to respond. The team outlined protective measures companies should put in place, including maintaining a trade secret registry, managing access rights, marking confidential materials, drafting proper contracts and monitoring former employees.
Kim Jun-rae, an executive director at Ienadu, introduced "Togetherwel," an employee welfare service offering benefits such as rail discounts, health checkups and access to resort facilities at no additional cost to companies.
Kim Hyun-su, chairman of the Gwangju-South Jeolla Venture Business Association, said the launch of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City brings with it "a great opportunity in the form of an AI mobility national pilot city," adding that he hoped the forum would serve as a meaningful occasion for local small and venture businesses to develop practical growth strategies and strengthen their networks.
sij@heraldcorp.com
