12 robot companies from Gimcheon, Andong, Yeongju, and Sangju participate in the Northern Region Launch Ceremony
Driving entry into robot component supply chains and upgrading full-cycle support for agricultural robots

Gyeongsangbuk-do has officially launched the Northern Gyeongbuk AI Robot Enterprise Council, establishing a comprehensive communication network to gather insights from robot companies across the western, southern, eastern, and northern regions of the province.

On the 23rd, the provincial government hosted the "Northern Gyeongbuk AI Robot Enterprise Council Launch Ceremony and Robot Industry Supply Chain Response Corporate Roundtable" at the Andong International Convention Center. The event focused on discussing strategies for local enterprises to participate in robot component supply chains in response to expanding investments in the robotics sector by major conglomerates.

The event brought together approximately 20 participants, including officials from the provincial government, four municipal governments (Gimcheon, Andong, Yeongju, and Sangju), related organizations such as the Gyeongbuk Technopark, Korea Robot Convergence Institute, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (Korea Institute of Industrial Technology/Korea Sewing Technology Research Institute), and regional business representatives.

This roundtable served as the third follow-up measure stemming from the "Gyeongbuk Robot Industry Supply Chain Response Task Force (T/F)," which was launched last August.

Prior to the main roundtable, a networking session for agricultural robot companies took place under the advanced agricultural industry division of the "Gyeongbuk Robot Innovation Governance," followed by a seminar on technology trends in the agricultural robot industry presented by the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI).

Subsequently, the Northern Gyeongbuk AI Robot Enterprise Council was officially inaugurated, with participation from 12 robot companies located in Gimcheon, Andong, Yeongju, and Sangju. This establishment provides northern regional companies—where the foundational base for the robotics industry has been relatively weak—with a vital hub for cooperation and information exchange. With this addition, Gyeongbuk has now completed its regional council framework, encompassing the western region (Gumi), southern region (Gyeongsan), eastern region (Pohang), and now the northern region.

During the roundtable, the provincial government introduced its robot industry promotion strategies alongside support programs tailored by businesses and institutions. It also gathered valuable feedback from enterprises regarding technology development, testing infrastructure, initial demand creation, and the acquisition of specialized talent.

Based on the opinions collected, the province plans to flesh out follow-up tasks and utilize them in discovering new projects. Centered around the Yeongju Advanced Bearing National Industrial Complex, the province will support the expansion of the northern region's precision machining and drive/control capabilities into the production of core robot components such as reducers and actuators. Furthermore, the province is reviewing plans to upgrade its agricultural robot technology development support programs into a full-cycle support system by incorporating on-site agricultural field testing, commercialization, and widespread dissemination.

"The northern region possesses a solid foundation in agricultural robot utilization and precision component manufacturing, making it a crucial axis that expands the horizons of Gyeongbuk’s robotics industry," said Park Si-gyun, Director-General of the Science and Industrial Bureau of Gyeongsangbuk-do. "By directly listening to the actual demands of industrial sites and refining our support policies, we will steadfastly back the growth of the robotics industry across all of Gyeongbuk."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]