Hwaseong City to Pave the Way for South Korea's AI Future... 'MARS 2026' Opens at COEX on Nov. 3

Hwaseong City to Host "MARS 2026" at COEX, November 3-5
56 Companies and Organizations, Including Hyundai Motor Group and Kia, to Participate
Discussions on AI Transformation in Space and Aerospace, Autonomous Driving, and Public Administration
Keynote by Professor Sam Richards... Investment Attraction Briefing Also Scheduled
Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun: "We Will Prove the Achievements and Strengths of AI CITY Hwaseong to the World"

Hwaseong Special City, which has emerged as a central hub of South Korea's advanced industries, will unveil concrete demonstration models for future cities transformed by AI technology.

Panelists share their views at the MARS 2026 Investment Attraction & Conference. Courtesy of Hwaseong City.

Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun), announced on October 23 that it will hold MARS 2026 at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, over three days from November 3 to 5. Held under the slogan "AI CITY IN ACTION," the event will bring together the achievements of the advanced AI administration and industrial infrastructure Hwaseong City has built.

At the event, Hwaseong City will showcase next-generation technologies across five key areas that span the city: "Moving City AI," including autonomous driving and urban air mobility (UAM); "AX & Physical AI," driving AI transformation in manufacturing and logistics; "Real Life AI," centered on healthcare and edutech; "Sustainable City AI," covering safety and traffic monitoring powered by urban data; and "X-Space AI," based on low Earth orbit satellite communications and space data. Beyond simply presenting concepts, the city plans to provide a multifaceted picture of practical demonstration solutions already operating in residents' daily lives and industrial settings.

Robots dance at the opening ceremony of MARS 2026 Investment Attraction & Conference. Courtesy of Hwaseong City.

Keynote by Professor Sam Richards... Space and Aerospace Cluster Vision to Be Unveiled

The opening ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on November 3, the first day of the event, at the COEX Auditorium on the third floor. Following an opening performance, introductions of distinguished guests, and opening, welcome, and congratulatory remarks, world-renowned sociologist Professor Sam Richards of Pennsylvania State University will deliver the keynote address.

Under the title "How Korea can lead the world into our AI future," Professor Sam Richards will highlight the strengths of Hwaseong Special City as it leads the AI era and raise key questions about a vision for the future of AI that South Korea and its communities can forge together. This will be followed by the "2026 MARS Alliance Launch Ceremony," attended by major participating companies, and a group commemorative photo.

Academic conferences and forums across various fields will get underway at 1 p.m. In the "REAL LIFE" session, participants will share a vision for the future of Hwaseong's integrated community care. The "MOBILITY AI" session will address the challenges of realizing future mobility technologies, including the commercialization of Level 4 autonomous driving, AI mapping, and UAM.

Starting at 2 p.m., the Auditorium will host the launch ceremony of the Space and Aerospace Industry Promotion Team and the "SPACE AI Forum," where participants will explore low Earth orbit satellite communications, space AI, AI drone technology, and strategies for establishing a Hwaseong-style space and aerospace cluster. Then, at 3:30 p.m., the "INDUSTRY AI" session will focus on ways to automate manufacturing and logistics using physical AI and digital twins.

Professor Sam Richards, keynote speaker at MARS 2026. Provided by Hwaseong City.

AMAT MOU Signing and Public-Sector AX Forum... "Aiming to Advance Both Investment and Administrative Innovation"

On the second day, November 4, key events will be held to attract corporate investment and drive innovation in public administration. The "MAX UP" program, designed to foster corporate collaboration and business growth, will take place at 10 a.m. in COEX Hall E6, followed by an investment attraction briefing in Hall E5 starting at 10:30 a.m.

At the investment attraction briefing, plaques of appreciation will be presented to Hanwha Solutions, Akratech Korea, and Abiman Robotics for their contributions to the development of local industries and the creation of an industrial ecosystem. Hwaseong City will also sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Applied Materials (AMAT), a global semiconductor equipment company, on investment cooperation and mutual growth with the local community. The program will also feature a presentation on Daewoong Bio's successful innovation investment in the Hyangnam Pharmaceutical General Industrial Complex and a special lecture by Oh Geon-young, head of Shinhan Bank's Premier Pathfinder team.

At 1 p.m., the "Hwaseong AI Forum" will feature experts from industry, academia, and research, including Seoul National University professors and KAIST researchers, who will give presentations on administrative innovation driven by AI and Hwaseong City's sustainable future growth strategies. The "AI Invest Day," connecting promising AI companies with investors, will follow at 2 p.m. Then, at 3:30 p.m., the "Public-Sector AX Forum 2026 Hwaseong" will present Hwaseong Special City's ontology-based urban operations model and hold roundtable discussions on eight key agendas to establish a model for urban innovation powered by public data.

'MARS 2026' poster. Provided by Hwaseong City.

56 Organizations, Including Hyundai Motor, Kia, and KAIST, to Participate... Large-Scale Demonstration Exhibition

The exhibition hall, open throughout the event, will host booths from 56 companies and organizations in total, including leading domestic and international advanced technology companies such as Hyundai Motor Group, Kia, Shinsegae Property, HiveNet, UBTECH, and RoboCare, as well as a research team from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at KAIST.

Among the participants, 31 companies based in Hwaseong and two departments of Hwaseong City Hall will take part directly, offering a vivid showcase of the city's achievements in public-sector AX administration and its technological capabilities. Over the three days, visitors will be able to see at a glance key demonstration models for future cities, including autonomous mobility, physical AI robots, and space and aerospace data technologies, and build business networks with companies.

Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun said, "As a leading AI city representing South Korea, Hwaseong City is already transforming paradigms in advanced industries and public administration. MARS 2026 will be a stage where we proudly demonstrate to the world the remarkable achievements and strengths of 'AI CITY Hwaseong,' which is being realized in daily life and industrial settings."

He added, "We will actively share the unparalleled expertise in AI administration that Hwaseong City has developed with cities and companies at home and abroad, and work together to drive the growth of the global AI ecosystem."

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