Ansan Mayor Lee Mingeun Makes All-Out Push to Attract Investment to ASV in Europe... "We'll Turn It into Actual Investment"

Concludes nine-day, seven-night trip to Spain and Germany
Discusses cooperation with robotics and advanced manufacturing companies and institutions
Signs talent development agreement with Germany's FHM and Ansan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Expands economic and industrial exchanges with the Aachen City Region

Lee Mingeun, mayor of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, returned to South Korea on November 10 after conducting investment promotion activities for the Ansan Science Valley (ASV) Free Economic Zone in Spain and Germany. The delegation visited European robotics companies and research institutions to discuss cooperation, and signed a business agreement with a German university to develop talent for future industries.

An economic delegation, including Ansan Mayor Lee Mingeun, poses for a commemorative photo after discussing cooperation in the economy, industry and talent development with officials, including Aachen Region Mayor Tim Grüttemeier, at the Aachen City Region Office in Germany on the 9th (local time). Photo courtesy of Ansan City.

Ansan City said on November 11 that the economic delegation, led by Mayor Lee, had completed a nine-day, seven-night trip to Europe. The trip was organized to promote the investment environment of ASV, which was officially launched as a free economic zone in January this year, and to expand international cooperation in advanced industries.

The delegation attended the 2026 Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) in Barcelona, Spain, and held an investment promotion presentation for URD Group, a company specializing in smart cities. Mayor Lee personally delivered the presentation, introducing ASV's location, investment support programs, and the manufacturing base of the Banwol and Sihwa National Industrial Complexes.

The delegation also visited the headquarters of PAL Robotics, a European company specializing in humanoid robots. It explained ASV's investment environment to the company and discussed potential cooperation in the robotics sector. The delegation also discussed ways to promote exchanges in advanced industries with ACCIÓ, the Catalan trade and investment agency.

The delegation met with European Union officials to discuss exchanges with European cities and institutions. It also exchanged views with An Se-ryeong, South Korea's consul general in Barcelona, on trends among companies operating locally, among other topics.

In Germany, the delegation focused on examining industry-academia-research collaboration in Aachen. It visited the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT), the Institute for Textile Technology at RWTH Aachen University (ITA), and the Aachen Center for Additive Manufacturing (ACAT) in succession. The delegation reviewed examples of advanced manufacturing technologies and research being commercialized, and explored ways to apply them in cooperation with Ansan's manufacturing sector.

The delegation signed a business agreement with the University of Applied Sciences for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (FHM) in Germany and the Ansan Chamber of Commerce and Industry to "develop talent tailored to future industries and strengthen global industry-academia collaboration."

The delegation also continued exchanges with the Aachen City Region, a partner region for friendly cooperation. On November 7, Mayor Lee met with the mayor of Herzogenrath and representatives of cities and regional governments in the Aachen City Region to discuss expanding exchanges in industry and culture.

On November 9, Lee held a meeting with Tim Grüttemeier, head of the Aachen City Region, at the Aachen City Region Administration. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in the economy, industry, and talent development, building on their existing friendly cooperation. "Ansan City and the Aachen City Region are partners that have built trust over a long period," Grüttemeier said. "Let us continue exchanges in a range of areas, including the economy, education, and culture."

The delegation concluded its official schedule with a visit to Merzbrück Research Airfield, where research is conducted in aviation and mobility, to learn about its research facilities and operations.

Ansan City plans to continue follow-up discussions with the companies and institutions it met during the trip and work to attract foreign investment to the ASV Free Economic Zone.

Mayor Lee said, "It was an opportunity to directly introduce Ansan's potential to European companies and institutions. I will see through the follow-up measures to ensure that the connections we made lead to actual investment and exchanges."

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