Ulsan and Gwangju partner on automotive AI and robotics transition

The cities of Ulsan and Gwangju have agreed to collaborate on a manufacturing artificial intelligence (M.AX) transition project for the automotive industry. The initiative aims to integrate humanoid robots and AI into production lines to enhance manufacturing efficiency.

Between 2027 and 2031, the project will utilize 58 billion won, consisting of 30 billion won in national funds and 28 billion won in local government funds. The plan includes establishing demonstration centers in both cities to utilize humanoid and autonomous mobile robots for process diagnosis, digital twin verification, and field testing.

This partnership leverages Ulsan’s extensive automotive component cluster and Gwangju’s research infrastructure in AI and robotics. The two cities intend to use this demonstration phase to eventually expand into a larger 1 trillion won “AI-based Factory (AIDF)” manufacturing innovation project, which would optimize the entire factory lifecycle from design to maintenance.