Ground Broken for Intelligent Agricultural Machinery Demonstration Complex in Saemangeum, Gimje

Jeong Sungjoo: "10.67 Billion Won Invested to Create a Testbed for the Future of Agriculture"

Gimje City in North Jeolla Province has launched the construction of a demonstration complex in the Saemangeum Agricultural and Life Science Land to test the performance and support the commercialization of intelligent agricultural machinery.

On September 29, Gimje City held a groundbreaking ceremony for the 'Intelligent Agricultural Machinery Demonstration Complex' at Section 5 of the Saemangeum Agricultural and Life Science Land in Changje-ri, Gwanghal-myeon, marking the official start of the project.

A bird's-eye view of the "Intelligent Agricultural Machinery Demonstration Complex" to be built in Section 5 of the Saemangeum Agricultural and Life Science Zone. Provided by Gimje City Hall

The event was attended by Kim Jungwook, Policy Chief of Agricultural Industry Innovation at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Ko Jeongsam, Vice Governor for Economic Affairs of North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province; Jeong Sungjoo, Mayor of Gimje; Lee Jeongja, Chairperson of the Gimje City Council; Lee Seokhyeong, President of the Korea Agricultural Technology Promotion Agency; and representatives from agricultural machinery-related organizations and companies.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, an autonomous transport vehicle delivered a shovel to the groundbreaking platform in a special performance. This was followed by a demonstration of an autonomous tractor and an exhibition of advanced agricultural machinery, showcasing how artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving technologies are being applied to the agricultural sector.

The Intelligent Agricultural Machinery Demonstration Complex project aims to provide a foundation for testing the performance and quality of domestically produced agricultural machinery in real farming environments.

The complex will be built on a total area of 100 hectares in Section 5 of the Saemangeum Agricultural and Life Science Land, with 95 hectares allocated for machinery demonstration and 5 hectares for the demonstration center. The project will require a total investment of 10.67 billion won, including national government funding.

Gimje City signed an entrustment agreement with the Korea Agricultural Technology Promotion Agency in November 2023 and has been pushing the project forward since then.

Once the demonstration complex is established, companies will be able to test the agricultural machinery they have developed in environments similar to real farmland, verifying performance and safety. Through this, the city plans to support technology development and product commercialization of domestic agricultural machinery and establish a foundation for entry into overseas markets.

Mayor Jeong Sungjoo of Gimje said, "With this groundbreaking in Saemangeum, we have taken the historic first step to lead the future of advanced agriculture in Korea. The demonstration complex will serve as an innovation stage for technology-driven companies to validate performance and achieve commercialization."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.