Ulsan promotes auto, battery investment environment at mobility expo

The Ulsan Free Economic Zone Authority (UFEZ) is participating in the 2026 Korea Future Mobility Expo (DIFA 2026), held Wednesday through Saturday at EXCO in Daegu, to promote Ulsan's competitiveness in the future mobility and secondary battery industries along with its investment environment.

DIFA 2026 is part of a joint promotional initiative for Korea's free economic zones (K-FEZ). Participating organizations include the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Free Economic Zone Planning Division, the free economic zone authorities of Ulsan, Gwangyang Bay and Daegu-North Gyeongsang Province, and KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency). UFEZ plans to operate a promotional pavilion alongside KOTRA to publicize the investment environment of the free economic zones, identify prospective investors and build new networks to expand the foundation for attracting investment.

Ulsan is nurturing its electric vehicle, eco-friendly vehicle and secondary battery industries on the back of its established automotive and auto-parts sector, while also expanding into future mobility fields such as urban air mobility (UAM).

Ulsan's free economic zone is developing future mobility, advanced chemical materials, and hydrogen and low-carbon energy as its core strategic industries, and is strengthening links between corporate investment and research and development through hubs such as the Hi-Tech Valley and the R&D Business Valley.

In the secondary battery sector, UFEZ is working to build an industrial ecosystem spanning materials and components through to battery manufacturing and technology development, by connecting battery and materials companies — including Samsung SDI — with research institutions such as the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST).

Building on this foundation, the authority intends to attract investment and foster technology cooperation among related companies, with the aim of developing Ulsan into a key hub for the future mobility industry.

UFEZ also plans to strengthen support for companies by providing tailored guidance on relevant regimes and incentives — including free economic zone and opportunity development zone programs — matched to each firm's investment plans and business type, with the goal of facilitating concrete investment reviews such as industrial complex move-ins and research and development partnerships.