Gyeongsangbuk-do is officially setting its sights on a transformative industrial future. On September 9, the provincial government announced a major milestone by holding a business agreement ceremony at the Gyeongju Hilton Hotel alongside Pohang City and Neuromeka. The agreement focuses on utilizing the Local Revitalization Investment Fund to establish an advanced robot foundry, marking the official starting shot for Gyeongsangbuk-do’s ambitious "4 Major Foundries" initiative.

The total project spans approximately 180 billion won. In the first phase, Neuromeka—a KOSDAQ-listed collaborative robot specialist—will establish a robot foundry and system house base in Pohang worth 40 billion won. Building upon the success of this initial phase and subject to future business conditions and institutional consultations, a second phase worth roughly 140 billion won will be implemented sequentially.

The agreement signing ceremony brought together key regional leaders, including Yang Geum-hee, Vice Governor for Economic Affairs of Gyeongsangbuk-do; Park Yong-sun, Mayor of Pohang; and Park Jong-hoon, CEO of Neuromeka.

Phase 1 Project Valued at 40 Billion Won: Easing Investment Burdens via the Local Revitalization Investment Fund

The 40 billion won first phase centers on building the physical infrastructure for the robot foundry and system house in Pohang by structuring a Local Revitalization Investment Fund project. By linking the fund’s capital directly to Neuromeka’s investment blueprint, the framework lowers the company's direct financial burden and significantly enhances the stability of the overall project execution.

The upcoming robot foundry will serve a dual purpose. Beyond expanding Neuromeka’s proprietary manufacturing capacities—focused primarily on collaborative robots and humanoid robots—it will function as a specialized production base that contract-manufactures products for other robotics companies.

Targeting a groundbreaking in November for the first phase, Neuromeka is actively optimizing designs, estimating construction costs, and reviewing potential contractors. Once internal decision-making processes and administrative reviews conclude, the company plans to officially announce detailed investment schedules through regulatory disclosures. Meanwhile, Gyeongsangbuk-do and Pohang City have committed to maintaining close cooperation regarding necessary administrative permits, licensing, and policy finance linkages to streamline execution.

CEO Park Jong-hoon of Neuromeka emphasized the strategic significance of the agreement, stating that it serves as the foundational launching pad for establishing robot foundry and system house bases centered around Pohang. He noted that by combining the Local Revitalization Investment Fund with policy financing to maximize investment efficiency, the company will work hand-in-hand with Gyeongsangbuk-do and Pohang City to establish a step-by-step physical AI industrial ecosystem that supports production for fellow robotics firms.

Pohang City also highlighted the profound implications of securing a solid foundation to lead the physical AI and robotics sector, where cutting-edge global enterprises are fiercely competing. Pohang Mayor Park Yong-sun expressed his commitment to fostering maximum synergy between Neuromeka’s innovative technologies and Pohang’s robust industrial infrastructure through proactive administrative support, ultimately elevating Pohang beyond South Korea to become a central global hub for the robot industry.

To secure financing, Gyeongsangbuk-do is actively solidifying funding schemes utilizing the Local Revitalization Investment Fund. The provincial government plans to directly invest up to 4 billion won, combining corporate technological prowess and business capabilities with public policy funds and local government capital to successfully build the production infrastructure.

Vice Governor Yang Geum-hee’s Vision: '4 Major Foundries' Project Ignites with Robot Foundry

Since launching the Economic Innovation Promotion Task Force last year, Vice Governor Yang Geum-hee has spearheaded the conceptualization of the "4 Major Foundries" initiative, meeting directly with business leaders to discuss viable commercialization strategies. Since the spring of this year, Vice Governor Yang has overseen practical working-level consultations and policy finance consulting sessions with Neuromeka, meticulously structuring the project around the Local Revitalization Investment Fund to pave the way for this agreement.

The "Future Industry 4 Major Foundries" vision championed by Vice Governor Yang aims to construct advanced manufacturing and production infrastructure across four core sectors: robotics, semiconductors, quantum technology, and pharmaceuticals. Moving a step beyond traditional corporate attraction and passive support models, this co-investment strategy involves local governments actively participating alongside private enterprises in building advanced industrial production infrastructure and linking them directly with vital policy financing.

Vice Governor Yang remarked that the 4 Major Foundries concept was meticulously crafted alongside the creation of the Economic Innovation Promotion Task Force last year through intense discussions with industry pioneers. She added that following the kickoff in Pohang, execution announcements for Gumi (semiconductors and quantum technology) and Andong (pharmaceuticals) foundries will follow in succession.

To provide a comprehensive overview of this strategic layout, the 4 Major Foundries blueprint encompasses the following core areas:

The Robot Foundry in Pohang focuses on collaborative and humanoid robots with an estimated total project cost of 180 billion won, broken down into a 40 billion won first phase and a 140 billion won second phase.
The Industrial Hemp CDMO in Andong targets finished pharmaceutical products utilizing industrial hemp with an estimated total budget of 200 billion won.
The Quantum Foundry in Gumi concentrates on components, materials, and equipment for quantum computers with a projected investment of 50 billion won.
The Semiconductor Foundry in Gumi envisions a comprehensive non-memory semiconductor foundry specialized in power and defense semiconductors, anticipating a total project scale exceeding 1 trillion won.

Connecting Corporate Investments to Local Business Orders and Youth Employment

Gyeongsangbuk-do is firmly committed to ensuring that the establishment of the robot foundry goes beyond Neuromeka’s corporate expansion, translating directly into broader business opportunities for local partner companies and sustainable jobs for young professionals. The ultimate objective is to channel corporate production capability growth into subsequent investments and R&D activities, allowing these achievements to permeate the entire regional industrial landscape.

Furthermore, by integrating related policy initiatives—such as joint research and development projects with regional partner companies and the designated robot specialization zone—the province aims to fortify Pohang’s robotics industry foundation and drive continuous follow-up investments.

Concluding the announcement, Vice Governor Yang Geum-hee emphasized that the 4 Major Foundries represent an execution strategy where businesses and the province build Gyeongsangbuk-do’s future industry together. She pledged that the provincial government will follow through to ensure that the agreement seamlessly translates into real investments and actual production facilities, with the resulting benefits directly securing meaningful orders for local enterprises and quality jobs for the youth.

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