To foster AI talent and foster the AI industry, Ulsan is taking the lead in AI technology development and ecosystem creation as a regional hub.

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) held the Artificial Intelligence Innovation Day event for two days from the 7th at Gyeongdong Hall on the 4th floor of the UNIST main building.

This event was organized by the AI Innovation Park, established to foster AI innovation in the Southeast region, to share the achievements of the past two years with local industry and academia and to expand industry-academia cooperation.

In the education sector, the AI Novatus Academia program trains local industrial workers to become AI experts over a five-month period. In the Ulsan area, four cohorts have already graduated, with 120 graduates over two years. This program has trained industrial AI experts for 67 large and small businesses in the Ulsan area, laying the foundation for companies to build self-reliance and drive digital manufacturing innovation.

The same training course was opened in Gyeongsangnam-do this year, and two classes were recruited. Through this, 42 industrial AI experts from 34 companies in the Gyeongnam region, including Changwon, were trained.

UNIST's AI professors are also at the forefront of AI technology development. They have conducted industry-academic collaborative research with local companies, including Myunghwa Industrial, Korea Mold, Field the Same, and S-PCI. Their focus is on developing technologies directly linked to industry, aiming to drive productivity and business model innovation in areas such as process optimization, vision inspection, wearables, semiconductor materials, and autonomous driving, all powered by AI.

The event showcased a diverse range of AI applications, from AI technologies being utilized in cutting-edge industries like next-generation semiconductors, financial market forecasting, new drug development, advanced materials, and robotics, to AI writers combining digital and humanities. Furthermore, posters and prototypes from startups and student study groups were displayed, along with presentations on the achievements of various projects.

UNIST is supporting the incubation of local AI startups by inviting them to its AI Innovation Park. A total of 16 AI-focused companies will utilize the park's excellent facilities and conduct joint research with UNIST researchers. Among these, 7 companies, including InterX, Widit, Hanmac Controls, and 3D Factory, presented their business models and technologies at the event and promoted their companies through demonstrations, thereby expanding opportunities for cooperation.

In his congratulatory remarks, Noh Dong-wan, Director of the Ulsan Metropolitan City Innovation Industry Bureau, said, “I am very grateful to the UNIST Artificial Intelligence Innovation Park for fostering many talented individuals and leading the change and innovation of Ulsan in line with the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution through industry-academia cooperation.” He added, “I hope that UNIST’s Artificial Intelligence Innovation Park will serve as a stepping stone for local companies to continuously embrace AI and make further leaps forward.”
UNIST President Lee Yong-hoon stated, “Since taking office in 2019, we have been making every effort to spread artificial intelligence in the Southeastern region, including by establishing the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence and attracting the AI Innovation Park.” He added, “UNIST will lead the change in industries in the Southeastern region through talent development and industry-academic cooperation, and furthermore, we will create a world-class AI innovation ecosystem for a new leap forward for the national economy.”

Meanwhile, since its launch in 2021, UNIST Artificial Intelligence Innovation Park has become a representative hub for AI industry-academia cooperation in the southeastern region, including by providing new AI training to employees at industrial companies in Gyeongnam as well as Ulsan.