The AI Innovation Park, a focal project of UNIST, has been officially launched. Since the establishment of the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence last year, the creation and development of AI hub in the southeastern region, including Ulsan Metropolitan City, started in earnest.

To this end, UNIST has formed AI Innovation Park Agency and began operating a secretariat to lead large-scale business operations. It also plans on holding a virtual information session for business briefing on January 12, 2021.

The AI Innovation Park is located on the Industry-University Convergence Campus of UNIST within the Techno Industrial Park in Duwang-dong, Nam-gu, Ulsan. It aims to build a regional innovation ecosystem, leading to education, research, and entrepreneurship based on AI and Big Data. Through the introduction of DNA (Data, Network, AI)-based manufacturing innovation in Ulsan, the AI Innovation Park is expected to bring about substantial industrial changes.

For this reason, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and Ulsan Metropolitan City have promised to provide full support to the AI Innovation Park. This year, an additional KRW 3.5 billion will be allocated to invest in the AI Innovation Park, including the government and municipal expenses.

Aerial view of the Industry-University Convergence Campus.

The core business of the AI Innovation Park includes the following three major initiatives: ▲ Education for Industrial Engineers, ▲ Industry-Academia Research Collaboration, ▲ Start-up Support.

The Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence will play a central role in educating industrial engineers. Known as the AI Novatus Academia, the academy will offer a range of courses, starting in February 2021.

Systematic support will be also given to boost industry-university research collaborations in AI convergence. In particular, the academy will provide active support for AI+X Lab-based R&D to bring innovation into regional flagship industries. This will include establishing a strong foundation for convergence research, such as ‘AI+Automobiles,’ ‘AI+Ships,’ ‘AI+Healthcare,’ and ‘AI+Semiconductors,’ and thus carrying out industry-university joint research projects.

As part of the startup support initiative, the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence will rent out campus space to AI venture companies. Tenant companies will be given benefits of education, training, opportunities for research collaboration with UNIST researchers, as well as access to computational facilities.