North Gyeongsang Province, Daegu launch Physical AI talent program at Kumoh National Institute of Technology

North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu have launched a joint initiative to cultivate talent in the Physical AI sector, linking the effort to the government's three major MEGA projects.

North Gyeongsang Province held a launch ceremony Tuesday at Kumoh National Institute of Technology for its super-wide-area growth engine talent development project and signed a related MOU to advance Physical AI workforce training.

The event drew about 120 attendees, including North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Daegu city officials, presidents of eight universities, representatives from semiconductor and robotics companies, high school officials, and research institutions.

The project secured an S rating — the top grade — in the government's growth engine talent development competition in September, locking in 60 billion won ($45.4 million) in national funding over four years.

Kumoh National Institute of Technology and North Gyeongsang Province will lead the project, with Daegu and universities and companies across the Daegu-North Gyeongsang region participating.

The eight participating universities are Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Yeungnam University, Gumi University, DGIST, Keimyung University, Yeungnam University of Science and Technology, and Youngjin College. Fifteen regional companies, including Wonik QnC and SL, and six high schools, including Gumi Electronics Technical High School, are also taking part.

Kumoh National Institute of Technology will pursue a full-cycle, industry-integrated education model built on cooperation among local governments, industry and academia to meet real-world workforce demands.

The institute plans to establish a virtuous cycle linking employment and entrepreneurship with regional settlement, and will also support joint industry-academia technology development and commercialization.

Through the program, more than 3,000 professionals are to be trained in the Daegu-North Gyeongsang region in semiconductor materials, components and equipment, as well as AI manufacturing robotics. The project targets a 60 percent employment rate in growth engine fields, a 50 percent regional employment rate, 222 technology transfers, 125 startup launches, and 1,310 patent applications.

Kim Sang-ho, president of Kumoh National Institute of Technology, said the university would serve as the hub of super-wide-area cooperation, connecting regional universities, related institutions and companies across North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu. "We will work to ensure that the project's outcomes translate into regional industrial innovation and the settlement of young people in the area," he added.

Baek Hong-ju, chief executive of Wonik QnC, said the core of the initiative was training industry-ready talent locally. "We will actively participate in everything from curriculum design to on-site training, and do our best to help talented individuals find jobs and settle in regional companies," he said.

Governor Lee said North Gyeongsang Province, Daegu, regional universities, companies and research institutions would work together to advance talent development in the Daegu-North Gyeongsang growth engine sectors. "We will build a virtuous cycle in which young people return and settle in the region to work," he said.