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Busan Metropolitan City Attracts Airbus Subsidiary’s “CTC Busan Office,” Signaling Full-Scale Launch of the Future Aviation Cluster

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it has attracted the R&D Busan Office of “CTC*,” a subsidiary of Airbus, a global leader in aerospace and defense, and that it will begin establishing a full-scale future aviation industrial cluster.
* CTC (Composite Technology Centre)

The city began preparing for this initiative following the move-in of the “CTC R&D Office (CTC Busan Office)” to the Busan Technopark Branch Campus on July 2, 2025, by selecting cooperative research and development areas—such as thermoplastic composite aircraft components—and formulating implementation plans.

Through this successful attraction, local aviation component manufacturers can now secure the technological capabilities and networks needed to meet global composite material supply chain standards, providing a strong foundation for participation in high value-added projects such as international joint development.

CTC is an independent entity wholly funded by Airbus. Based in Germany, it specializes in designing composite aircraft structures and developing related manufacturing process technologies.

The CTC Busan Office, located at the Busan Technopark Branch Campus, plans to function as a hub for technology innovation in mobility composite materials not only in Korea but across Asia. Based on collaboration among local governments, leading domestic “anchor” companies, and universities, the office will carry out joint research and development and actively support technological innovation among domestic aviation component companies as well as the creation of a sustainable industrial ecosystem.

In addition, the Busan Office plans to promote research and technology cooperation among regional industries, academic institutions, government bodies, and startups through strategic cooperation with the recently launched “Airbus Tech Hub Korea” in Daejeon. These efforts align with Airbus’s plan to establish a global technology hub network and aim to expand the boundaries of aerospace technology.

Building on its cooperation with CTC, the city intends to move forward with attracting R&D institutes of prominent global aerospace companies and establishing a global supply chain–based industrial ecosystem, thereby accelerating the development of a high value-added future aviation industrial cluster.

Marc Fette, CEO of CTC, remarked, “Leveraging Busan’s robust industrial infrastructure and the innovation capabilities of its partner companies, we look forward to carrying out advanced composite material innovation projects together with partners such as Korean Air and fostering long-term cooperation.”

Jeong Hyeon-bo, Executive Director of Korean Air, stated, “The opening of the CTC Busan Office marks a significant turning point in Busan’s rise as a central hub of the future aviation industry,” expressing his commitment to regional economic revitalization. Kim Hyeong-gyun, President of Busan Technopark, added, “We will actively promote collaboration between CTC and the region’s outstanding manufacturing companies to support Busan’s growth as the ‘Asian Hub City for Lightweight Composite Components.’”

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “The opening of the CTC Busan Office marks Busan’s first substantive step toward joining the global supply chain,” adding, “We will do our utmost to build an industrial ecosystem in which the region’s outstanding component manufacturers can grow together with CTC and Korean Air, and to ensure the successful realization of the ‘Busan Future Aviation Cluster’ in connection with Gadeokdo New Airport.”