Korea Eximbank Takes First Step on 'K-AI Package,' to Build AI Training Institute in Tanzania

$170 Million EDCF Loan
Establishment of a Physical AI Training Institute on a Site the Size of Five Soccer Fields
Bringing "Korean-Style AI Technology" to Africa
Supporting Korean Companies' Expansion into Overseas Infrastructure Projects

The Export-Import Bank of Korea will provide a $170 million EDCF loan (approximately KRW 228 billion) to build an artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology training institute in Tanzania. It is the first project under the government’s “K-AI Package,” which supports both infrastructure development in developing countries and the adoption of Korean AI technology.

Lee Donghoon, Senior Executive Vice President of the Export-Import Bank of Korea (left), and Tanzanian Deputy Minister of Finance Natu Mwamba pose for a commemorative photo after signing an EDCF loan agreement for the construction of an AI and digital technology training institution in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on the 4th (local time). Provided by the Export-Import Bank of Korea.

The Export-Import Bank of Korea said on November 5 that it had signed an EDCF loan agreement with the Tanzanian government. Established by the Korean government, the EDCF is a fund that supports developing countries by providing long-term, low-interest loans to promote their economic development and economic cooperation with Korea. Lee Donghun, Senior Executive Vice President of the Export-Import Bank of Korea, and Tanzanian Deputy Minister of Finance Natu Mwamba signed the agreement in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on November 4.

This is the first AI project supported by the EDCF and the first project under the K-AI Package. The package is a new government development cooperation model that uses loan-based aid, including EDCF loans, to support both infrastructure development and AI technology in developing countries.

The project aims to build a technology training institute on a 35,000-square-meter site, equivalent to five soccer fields, and establish four departments: AI, robotics, data analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

The institute will include AI laboratories and high-performance AI training facilities. It will also introduce a Korean-style AI and digital education model, including a cloud system to manage learning and assessments online and share curricula in real time. The Tanzanian government plans to build a large-scale AI data center near the institute, attract AI companies, and develop an industrial complex.

“We will make this project the first step toward putting Korean AI technology down roots in Africa, and actively support Korean companies’ overseas infrastructure projects in the EDCF’s priority areas, including AI and digital technology, culture, and supply chains,” Lee said.

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