Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kang Ki-jeong) gained strong confidence in building an artificial intelligence (AI) convergence startup city. This is because global companies such as Google Cloud and Nvidia are paying attention to ‘AI Gwangju.’ Mayor Kang Ki-jeong and the Gwangju visiting group visited ‘CES 2023’, the world’s largest information technology (IT) and home appliance exhibition, for 6 nights and 9 days from the 4th to the 12th, and visited world-class companies such as Google and NVIDIA in Silicon Valley, USA. We met and discussed ways to attract investment, create a startup ecosystem, and cooperate in talent development to set future directions.
First, the operation of CES’ first Gwangju Promotion Center is considered a valuable achievement in that it opened the door to overseas sales channels and raised confidence and pride in participating companies. In addition, the establishment of an AI research center through an investment agreement with Sol Co., Ltd., a semiconductor biosensor venture company, an annual export contract of $10 million with Ventech Frontier Co., Ltd., a business agreement with ESTV, a global e-sports channel, and discussions on the second phase of AI business between Google and NVIDIA. This is the main achievement. In addition, eight technical exchange and cooperation plan meetings that advanced to the stage before signing a business agreement (MOU) also became valuable seeds for ‘Daum’.
In particular, the artificial intelligence (AI), mobility, and semiconductor industries that Gwangju City is focusing on in the 8th popular election are exactly in line with global trends, and global companies, promising startups, and venture investment companies are paying attention to Gwangju as an AI-centered city. It made me realize the growth potential. Gwangju City will use this as a driving force and begin full-scale promotion of key projects that will open the future of an AI convergence startup city, such as the second phase of the artificial intelligence integration complex project and the establishment of an AI gifted inventory.
Historic first participation… Hope radiated from CES
The Gwangju Visiting Group operated the first Gwangju Promotion Center at ‘CES 2023’, showcasing Gwangju’s accumulated technological capabilities, raising corporate confidence and pride, and opening the door to overseas sales channels. At this CES Gwangju Promotion Hall, a total of 15 products were introduced by 9 companies, including 8 companies under the co-brand GIEL and IndieJ, which won Gwangju’s only CES 2023 Innovation Award.
During this period, over 300 overseas buyers and companies visited, and over 150 experts from universities and other institutions showed interest in applying local products and innovative technologies. In particular, Ventec Frontier Co., Ltd. achieved the feat of signing an annual export contract for air purification sterilizers worth $10 million with VirusXbuster of the United States.
In addition, Gwangju City signed a business agreement with Sol Co., Ltd., a semiconductor biosensor venture company that won the ‘CES 2023 Innovation Award’, and began creating local jobs. In addition, through a business agreement with the LA branch of the World Korean Trade Association at Gwangju Techno Park, the company laid the foundation for becoming an e-sports mecca through a business agreement with Gwangju company export revitalization and a business agreement with ESTV, a global e-sports channel.
In addition, for an average of 12 hours a day, they visited a total of 100 corporate booths (exhibitions), including global companies such as LG Electronics, Google, Samsung Electronics, and Amazon, as well as AI robotics and semiconductor companies, to examine new technologies and industrial trends at home and abroad.
Google Cloud and NVIDIA global IT companies pay attention to Gwangju
Love calls for Gwangju, the center of artificial intelligence (AI), also poured in. Following Google Cloud’s proposal for collaboration in talent training, a collaboration project was proposed between NVIDIA, a global company in the field of AI computing, and LVIS, founded by Professor Jinhyung Lee of Stanford University, a world-renowned authority on brain nerve cell network research. Gwangju City plans to conduct additional discussions to lead to tangible results.
It also received a lot of attention from the ‘Rising Tide Fund’, a venture investment specialist in Silicon Valley, USA. Chairman Osama Hassanain unusually invited Mayor Kang and the Gwangju visiting group to his home to exchange opinions on ways to cooperate in attracting investment and discuss the schedule for his visit to Korea.
In addition, a meeting with Altos Ventures, a global investment company venture capital (VC), and in-depth discussions with AI experts actively active in Silicon Valley were held, opening the way for Gwangju AI startups to enter Silicon Valley in the United States.
Local government-business-university cooperation… “Innovation continues”
This visit was held by the public, government, and academia, including Gwangju City and City Council, Gwangju Free Economic Zone Authority, Gwangju Techno Park and Artificial Intelligence Industry Convergence Business Group, Chonnam National University, Honam University, Donggang University, and local companies, which are investment and contribution organizations, to expand local food and improve future sustainability. It is meaningful that we worked together to secure it.
In addition to regulatory reform, local governments, companies, and universities will work together to establish a plan to create innovative companies by seeking institutional and cultural support measures for innovative companies. In addition, as the global market is paying attention to the Gwangju AI data center and AI companies, policy alternatives are being created through data-based administrative innovation.
In addition, we will accelerate the process of making Gwangju a proving ground for corporate growth. Although there are legal and institutional limitations, we plan to find specific ways to demonstrate and verify new technologies and ideas throughout Gwangju.
Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jeong said, “The whole world is paying attention to Gwangju, the AI-centered city.” He added, “We will create policy alternatives through not only corporate innovation but also administrative innovation based on data, and implement a convergence administration that removes partitions and walls, while creating Gwangju for corporate growth.” “Let’s continue innovation to turn the entire region into a field of demonstration,” he said.
Meanwhile, ‘CES’, the world’s largest IT exhibition, is an exhibition where you can understand the trends of the global home appliance industry at a glance. Hosted by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), it is held every January in Las Vegas, USA. AVING News, which has covered CES for 1 consecutive years, has reported CES news around the world every year since 17, and has been selected as the ‘BEST OF CES’, which selects the best innovative products and technologies, and the ‘BEST OF’, which selects domestic innovative companies. ‘MADE IN KOREA’ was held. In addition, CES on-site issues were vividly conveyed through ‘AVING LIVE’.