"Pairing Geospatial Data with Homegrown AI"... Wavus, Upstage Target Public-Sector AI Market

Upstage Head of Public Sector Business Lee Jaeyong (left) and Wavus CEO Park Changhun (right) pose for a commemorative photo after signing an MOU for joint research and cooperation on AI agents on the 8th. Wavus

Wavus, a company specializing in spatial AI platforms, is joining forces with AI company Upstage to develop AI agents tailored to geospatial information and expand the public-sector AI market. The two companies plan to combine their geospatial information and AI technologies to build generative AI services suited to the work environments of public institutions.

Wavus (CEOs Kim Hakseong and Park Changhun) announced that it signed an MOU on joint research and cooperation for AI agents with Upstage (CEO Kim Seonghun) on October 8.

Under the agreement, Wavus will use Upstage's large language models (LLMs) and AI foundation models to develop generative AI agent products based on its GeoAI technology. The companies plan to identify joint business opportunities and pursue projects in domestic and international markets using the technologies they develop. Specific joint ventures will proceed under separate agreements.

The areas of cooperation include ▲joint research and use of LLMs in GeoAI ▲use and joint validation of Upstage's models in geospatial AI projects ▲identification of domestic and international markets and pursuit of joint projects ▲development of generative AI agent technology.

Wavus has built up relevant technical expertise and business experience by carrying out public-sector projects in geospatial information, digital twins, and smart cities. Recently, it has pursued AI projects using geospatial information, including AI for urban safety, AI-based preliminary diagnosis for integrated permitting, Digital Twin Korea, and a GeoAI Agent for Korea Expressway Corporation, expanding the use of AI agents in the public sector.

Upstage is also expanding the use of its proprietary AI technology in the public sector. It is developing its own foundation model technology through the Ministry of Science and ICT's Independent AI Foundation Model project. Through Solar Open 2 and its AI agent platform Timely, the company is also broadening the areas in which local governments and public institutions can use AI.

The geospatial AI agents the two companies aim to develop will do more than simply process location information such as addresses, coordinates, and lot numbers. They will also need to understand and use specialized information linked to geospatial data, including urban planning, permitting laws and regulations, and administrative documents.

In particular, the companies plan to develop geospatial AI agents that can operate in closed networks and on-premises environments, taking public institutions' security requirements into account. Their goal is to combine general-purpose AI models with specialized data and work experience in the geospatial field to deliver services that can be used in actual public-sector work.

Park Changhun, CEO of Wavus, said, "Geospatial information is fundamental to public-sector work in areas such as administration, urban affairs, and safety, but it is a specialized field that general-purpose AI has difficulty handling effectively. By combining Wavus's experience implementing GeoAI Agents with Upstage's foundation model technology, we will develop geospatial AI agents that public institutions can trust and use."

Lee Jaeyong, Head of Public Sector Business Division at Upstage, said, "Geospatial information is a key field in which Korean AI models can demonstrate their value in public-sector settings. Together with Wavus, we will create GeoAI Agent examples validated in the field and accelerate the AI transformation of the public sector."

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