Jeonbuk to Build National Hub for Physical AI and Robotics with 1.3 Trillion Won Investment

Grand forum held at National Assembly with local lawmakers, universities, research institutions and others

Five key projects unveiled... securing national funding key to moving them forward

Jeonbuk State is drawing up concrete plans to become a national hub for the physical AI and robotics industries. Its goal is to build an industrial ecosystem spanning research and development, demonstration, and production, centered on five key projects worth a total of 1.3 trillion won.

Jeonbuk State held the “Global Physical AI and Robotics Powerhouse Jeonbuk Forum” in Seminar Room 2 of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on the 4th, discussing five key projects worth a total of 1.3 trillion won and national-level support measures to advance them. Provided by the Jeonbuk Provincial Government.

On November 4, Jeonbuk State held a forum titled “Jeonbuk: A Global Powerhouse in Physical AI and Robotics” in Seminar Room 2 of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building, where participants discussed the projects’ direction and national-level support measures.

Attendees included Jeonbuk Governor Lee Wontaek, local lawmakers, officials from cities and counties, representatives of universities and research institutions, businesses, and related associations. The forum was co-hosted by Jeonbuk lawmakers Jeong Dongyoung, Ahn Hoyoung, Kim Yundeok, Han Byeongdo, Yoon Junbyeong, Kim Euigyeom, Lee Seongyun, Park Heeseung, and Park Jiwon, with the participation of Jeonbuk State and the support group for attracting and supporting a physical AI valley and a semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment cluster, established by the Jeonbuk chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Presentations were delivered by KAIST professors Kim Jeongho and Kong Seunghyeon, Hanyang University professor Park Taejun, Korea Institute of Automotive Technology President Oh Yangseop, and Jeonbuk Technopark Director Yoo Jiyeon, who outlined the direction of each project. A subsequent discussion, chaired by Yoon Junbyeong, head of the Jeonbuk chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea, covered ways to link the projects and strategies for securing national budget allocations.

The five key projects proposed by Jeonbuk State are the K-HBM-HBF Product Technology Development Center; a national industrial cluster for physical AI-based AARs (Autonomous Aerial Robots); the Saemangeum Robot Farm Factory; support for ventures across the physical AI robotics value chain; and a national demonstration center for physical AI-based autonomous integrated logistics.

The projects will cover next-generation memory product technology development; demonstration and operation support for autonomous aerial robots; the manufacture, training, and testing of agricultural robots; the growth of robotics ventures; and the validation and commercialization of autonomous logistics technologies in which multiple robots work together.

Rather than pursuing each project separately, Jeonbuk State plans to link research and development, field testing, business growth, and product manufacturing into a single system to strengthen the competitiveness of the industry as a whole.

Physical AI is technology that combines artificial intelligence with physical devices such as robots, enabling them to perceive their surroundings, make decisions based on circumstances, and translate those decisions into physical actions. It can be applied in a range of industrial settings, including production automation in manufacturing plants, agricultural robots, and autonomous logistics systems.

Jeonbuk has a manufacturing base that includes commercial vehicles and agricultural machinery, as well as a well-developed agricultural and life sciences industry, giving it favorable conditions for testing robotics technology in real-world environments and validating its performance. Jeonbuk State believes that Hyundai Motor’s planned investment in robotics in Saemangeum, combined with the establishment of contract manufacturing capabilities for robots and components, could link robotics development with component production and real-world applications.

Based on the discussions at the forum, Jeonbuk State prepared a proposal to the central government requesting that the five key projects be included in the 2027 national budget and that a cooperation framework be established among relevant government ministries.

However, turning projects worth 1.3 trillion won into tangible industrial results will require more than securing national budget allocations. It will also depend on the participation of research institutions and businesses, the operation of technology demonstration facilities, and commercialization support for small and medium-sized enterprises and startups. Local lawmakers and city and county governments plan to work together to explain the need for the projects to the government and National Assembly and seek funding.

Jeonbuk Governor Lee Wontaek said, “We will bring together Jeonbuk’s manufacturing and agricultural and life sciences sectors with the robotics investment in Saemangeum to create an industrial ecosystem that spans technology development, demonstration, and production. The provincial and city and county governments, along with the political community, will join forces to help Jeonbuk become a national hub for physical AI that attracts businesses and talent.”

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