GICA Holds Paju Roundtable…Promises 'Tailored Support' for Business Challenges

The Gyeonggi-do Institute for Economic and Scientific Advancement (hereinafter GICA) held a 'Paju Regional Economic Activation Business Roundtable' at its Paju headquarters on the 15th with the Paju Entrepreneurs Association and Paju Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss cooperation plans.

Business leaders who attended the event shared difficulties with rising management costs and securing sales channels. To overcome these challenges, they requested tailored support based on field demands, including expanded support for in-house technology development and artificial intelligence (AI) utilization training.

Additionally, business leaders expressed hope that such roundtables would not be one-time events but would be held regularly and continuously as an ongoing forum for conveying voices from business sites.

This roundtable was arranged following GICA's relocation to its Paju headquarters in May. It was held to strengthen communication with local businesses and link grievances raised at business sites to support programs and policy initiatives. GICA introduced its major functions and business support programs, shared regional industrial issues with business leaders, and sought on-site-focused support measures.

Based on the grievances raised, GICA introduced available support measures including linking with existing business support programs, market development support, and digital transformation consulting, and decided to maintain organic cooperation among relevant agencies to address business leaders' requests.

Kim Gil-ah, head of the Balanced Development Division at GICA who attended the roundtable, said, "Taking the opportunity of GICA's relocation to the Paju headquarters, we will work to expand contact points with local businesses and ensure that grievances raised in the field can be translated into support policies," and added, "Going forward, we will strengthen tailored support and inter-agency cooperation based on voices from the business field to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium businesses in Paju and lead the way in revitalizing the regional economy in northern Gyeonggi."