Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

Minister JK (Jung-Kwan) Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) visited the city of Changwon in Gyeongsangnam-do on February 6, 2026, to explore ways industrial complexes—the backbone of the manufacturing sector—can drive regional manufacturing upgrades. The visit included discussions on converting industrial complexes into AI- and robotics-enabled advanced clusters, along with meetings with local companies to hear their views on strengthening the competitiveness of key regional industries, such as defense and shipbuilding.

At Changwon National University, Minister Kim signed an MOTIR–Changwon National University cooperation MOU and discussed next steps for industrial complex AX initiatives grounded in industry–academia–research collaboration. “Digital and AI transformation in industrial complexes must move beyond individual firms and become a region-wide innovation effort involving universities and research institutes,” he said. “We will translate cooperation into concrete measures so anchor universities such as Changwon National University can serve as talent and technology hubs for industrial complex AX.”

Minister Kim then met with companies participating in the pilot industrial complex AX initiative and visited the Samhyun plant to review AX adoption cases in manufacturing and hear about implementation challenges. “AX is not only about productivity,” he said. “It is also about capturing skilled workers’ know-how in technology and deploying it across sites.” Minister Kim added that “MOTIR will validate models in the field through pilot industrial complexes and scale them up to drive manufacturing upgrades across industrial clusters.”

Building on the findings from the Changwon visit, MOTIR will further refine its industrial complex-centered manufacturing upgrade strategy and expand “a regional manufacturing innovation model that works on the ground” by strengthening industry–academia–research collaborations and fostering regional manufacturing ecosystems.

Minister Kim also held a breakfast meeting with defense and shipbuilding parts and equipment companies to review policy priorities for sustaining growth as competition for global orders intensifies, and to hear industry concerns and suggestions. “Defense and shipbuilding are more than key industries—they underpin Korea’s economic security,” he said. “With comparative advantages—such as delivery schedules and quality—and advanced technology capabilities increasingly shaping the global market, the government will expand AI integration across production processes and products to upgrade advanced manufacturing capabilities and turn them into sustained orders.”