Preparation for Future
The North Gyeongsang Provincial Government announced on January 24 that it will foster the future automobile industry such as electric and autonomous vehicles and connected cars, which are loaded with advanced information and communication technology (ICT) in order to lead the fourth industrial revolution
The local government plans to support design, prototype production and domestic and overseas certification with the goal of building equipment for the commercialization of carbon parts with 88.1 billion won (US$75 million) for five years from this year and develop body chassis for vehicles and artificial graphite (a material for battery anodes).
In December last year, the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government established the Lightweight Convergence Component Technology Center at the Gyeongbuk Hybrid Component Research Institute. Beginning this year, the Lightweight Convergence Component Technology Center will fully support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) such as tests, evaluations and prototype production for the development of technology for lightweight parts and modularization.
Software (SW), which is a key technology for implementing smart functions of automobiles will be fully promoted as well. Having been limited to some functions such as infotainment, SW is spreading to all automobile functions such as the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), sensors, and autonomous driving.
The North Gyeongsang Provincial Government to support the development of convergence parts for the entire field including image processing (ISP) and ADAS by opening the SW Convergence Component Technology Center at the Gyeongbuk IT Convergence Industry Technology Institute. Its Pohang Techno Park will also support local SMEs’ development of SW technology.
In November of last year, the British government, Ulleung-gun, UK Westfield Sports Car, and POSCO ICT signed a business agreement and will put Korea’s first self-driving car (Level 4) into tentative operation in June of this year. That is to say, they will tentatively run a 6-passenger unmanned shuttle in a 3-kilometer section from Cheonbu-ri, Ulleung-gun to Narae Basin on Ulleung Island.
In particular, the local government will share the UK’s experience and know-how in operating self-drive cars which had been operated at Terminal 5 of the UK's Heathrow Airport since 2011 and completed three million hours of accident-free (1.5 million passengers) demonstrations.
"Industrial reorganization is urgent at a time when the fourth industrial revolution represented by super-linking and super intelligence is close to us. We will prepare for the future market by putting a spur to making a change in the internal combustion engine-oriented local automobile industry," said Song Kyung-chang, head of the Office of Creative Economy and Industry at the North Gyeongsang Provincial Office.