Gyeongsangbuk-do held the "Food Sector Enterprise Regulation Improvement On-Site Briefing" at the Sangju Smart Farm Innovation Valley on the 6th to listen to companies' regulatory and investment challenges. The event was attended by some 40 people, including representatives from local food companies and affiliated organizations.

The briefing was organized to uncover regulations that food companies face during their growth process and to identify necessary on-site support measures. In August, Gyeongsangbuk-do became the first local government in the nation to establish the Food Hallyu Industry Bureau, fostering the food industry as a future growth engine.

Attendees identified regulations hindering product development, production facility expansion, and market entry in emerging sectors such as K-food and alternative foods. They also discussed ways to revitalize investment and strengthen the competitiveness of food companies.

Companies requested the alleviation of duplicate burdens in food and livestock product quality inspections, the securing of foreign labor, and financial support for factory expansions. They also asked for improvements to facility installation regulations and expanded market access for certified rural convergence industry businesses, as well as permission to install cafes and experience facilities within agricultural and industrial complexes. Opinions were also raised on the need for a full-cycle support system encompassing technical consulting, product development, startups, facility investment, and exports.

Gyeongsangbuk-do is helping companies develop technology and commercialize products by expanding regional research and demonstration infrastructure. In Pohang, the Food Robot Food-Tech Research Support Center opened in September to support technology development and demonstration in the food robotics sector.

In Uiseong, technology demonstration and commercialization are underway based on the Cell-Cultured Food Regulation-Free Special Zone and the Cell Culture Industry Support Center. In Gumi, the province is promoting the establishment of the Smart Manufacturing Food-Tech Research Support Center and the construction of the Gyeongbuk Branch of the Korea Food Research Institute.

The province plans to organize corporate proposals by task, deliver them to central ministries, and pursue regulatory improvements through consultations with related agencies. It will also provide companies with guidance on systems, licensing criteria, and processing procedures. Furthermore, it will support policy finance linkages such as the National Growth Fund and Regional Vitalization Investment Fund, financial structure design, and investment preparation consulting.

"We will connect the food resources of 22 cities and counties with corporate technologies so that excellent technologies and local raw materials translate into actual products and investments, supporting entry into domestic and overseas markets," said Hong In-ki, Head of the Economic Innovation Promotion Task Force at Gyeongsangbuk-do.

Gyeongsangbuk-do plans to reflect these on-site opinions in its 2026 food industry policies and foster the food industry as a representative regional sector by connecting agricultural and marine products, technology, and production bases of 22 cities and counties with companies and research institutes.

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