Soft Power Reinforcement
With a slogan of “With Creativity! With Technology! To the World!,” the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation (KICOX) plans to significantly improve technical competence of businesses belonging to the complex through creative innovation and help them expand into global markets as part of its 2016 enterprise support plan, carrying out various support projects.
KICOX President Kang Nam-hoon said on January 24, “We are planning to strengthen “soft power” so that the ability and creative thinking of global leaders can be integrated into firms operating in the complex. Accordingly, we will make every effort to make the industrial complex the key base of the creative economy.”
Soft power reinforcement means the project to develop the structure of the industrial complex. The KICOX will create the industry-academic zone in the industrial complex and have a college campus and research institution in order to turn it into the space of innovation.
Kang said, “Korea’s key industries, such as steel, shipbuilding, chemical and electronics, are sandwiched between price competitive China with the price competitiveness and Japan with the top-level technology. We will spare no effort to dramatically strengthen the competitiveness of businesses belonging to the industrial complex with the “two track” strategy to strengthen technical skills and improve productivity.”
Moreover, the KICOX plans to build four to five smart industrial complexes, which have been test operated in Banwol and Changwon last year, and increase the number to 17 by 2020.
In addition, it will increase the number of mini cluster from the current 70 to 100 regions across the country this year. In particular, the KICOX will systematize the Industry-University-Institute network in Gumi, Changwon and Sacheon and activate clusters, including future cars, in a bid to help companies find their new growth engines.