South Korea advances AI and defense tech with new ordinance and firm award

Haenam County approved an "Advanced Industry Promotion and Support Ordinance" to systematically nurture strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, data and future energy. The ordinance creates administrative and financial support for R&D, industry‑university‑research collaboration, technology commercialization, and talent development, and is tied to the national AI computing centre on Solar Island and a 17‑trillion‑won AI data‑centre investment project, positioning Haenam as a regional AI/semiconductor hub.

AI‑driven dark‑factory platform company Wiplo was selected for the 2026 "Innovation Premier 1000" program, recognizing its unmanned‑system inspection technology and growth potential in the defence sector. The programme links participating firms with preferential policy‑finance, loan guarantees and investment, and offers R&D credits and overseas market assistance, enabling Wiplo to expand UAV inspection services domestically and in markets such as the United States and Europe.