Gyeonggi Province and Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Discuss Physical AI Demand and Supply Matching
Gyeonggi Province held a 'Policy Discussion Meeting for Activating Gyeonggi Province's Physical AI Ecosystem' on the 22nd in the conference room of the R&DB Center at the Gyeonggi Economic Science and Promotion Agency, where it discussed ways to expand physical AI adoption among manufacturing companies and revitalize the industrial ecosystem.
The discussion meeting was attended by Kim Tae-hyung, Chairman of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly's Future Science Cooperation Committee, and Oh Nam-seok, Vice Chairman, and assemblyman Jeon Seok-hoon, along with approximately 50 representatives from companies including Rainbow Robotics and Maum AI, as well as universities, research institutions, associations, and local government offices.
Physical AI is a technology in which autonomous systems such as robots and machinery perceive their surrounding environment in the actual physical world, such as factories or logistics sites, make decisions on their own, and perform tasks. It is attracting attention as a next-generation core technology that can enhance productivity and safety. Gyeonggi Province is investing 3 billion 8 million won to foster a field demonstration-based industrial ecosystem and is promoting the establishment of a physical AI dissemination center as well as consulting, demonstration, and education programs for companies.
Participants shared on-site challenges that manufacturing companies face when adopting physical AI, including initial investment costs, verification of return on investment (ROI), and shortage of operational personnel, as well as adoption trends caused by price competitiveness of Chinese-made robots, data leaks, and after-sales service (A/S) issues, and discussed solutions.
There was consensus that to reduce the initial burden on companies, it is necessary to provide case studies for each process, conduct small-scale proof-of-concept (PoC) demonstrations, and support the adoption of domestic products.
After the policy discussion meeting ended, a second preparatory meeting to form the 'Gyeonggi Province Physical AI Council' took place. Participants reviewed major tasks discussed at the first meeting in July, including demand and supply matching, regulatory exceptions, and talent development, and discussed the establishment of subcommittees by representative processes, utilization of demonstration spaces within the dissemination center, and ways to expand participation of system integration (SI) companies. The Province plans to reflect field opinions to develop specific operational plans for the council and to hold the council's launch ceremony in October.
Lee Su-jae, Director of Gyeonggi Province's AI Industry Development Division, said, "Through the policy discussion meeting and council, we plan to connect on-site technology needs with policies and support projects, and reduce trial-and-error and cost burdens for companies adopting physical AI," and added, "We will expand demand and supply matching between companies and on-site demonstrations to increase physical AI utilization among manufacturing companies in the Province and create an industrial ecosystem where companies, universities, research institutions, and associations collaborate continuously."