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Busan Metropolitan City Accelerates the AI Transformation of Manufacturing, Sharing Key Agendas of Manucorn

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Busan Metropolitan City announced that it will hold the “2026 Busan-Style Anchor Company Development Support Program Briefing and Busan AI Transformation Forum – Manucorn AX” at 1:30 p.m. today (the 23rd) at the Convention Hall on the second floor of Busan City Hotel in Yeonje-gu, under the supervision of the Busan Techno Park Foundation. Manucorn is a compound term combining “manufacture” and “unicorn.”

The event has been organized to share key agendas for the AI transformation of regional manufacturing with the goal of building an innovative ecosystem for manufacturing AI transformation centered on Busan-style anchor companies.

The event will begin with a briefing on the 2026 Busan-Style Anchor Company Development Support Program, followed by presentations on the Manucorn Project overview, guidance on recruitment for the third cohort of Manucorn companies, and the direction of project implementation for 2026.

During the briefing, the reorganization direction of the 2026 Busan-Style Anchor Company Development Support Program will be introduced, along with key focus areas for this year, including leading the AI transformation of regional manufacturing, expanding open innovation, linking investment and financial support, and providing testbed-based demonstration support.

Based on these initiatives, Busan Metropolitan City plans to strengthen customized support that reflects each company’s growth stage and needs through linked research and development and non-research and development programs, as well as phased support programs, to enable anchor (Manucorn) companies to achieve quantum-jump growth, defined as a qualitative transformation in which a company advances beyond incremental growth to a higher level of competitiveness and development.

The subsequent “Busan AI Transformation Forum – Manucorn AX” will share strategies and on-site application cases for the AI transformation of regional manufacturing centered on Busan-style anchor companies.

Key programs include a keynote address by Professor Kim Seong-hui of Dong-eui University on “Global Trends in Manufacturing AI Transformation and Strategies for Regional Industrial Innovation,” a presentation by Manager Park Chun-hwa of Hyosung Electric Co., Ltd. on “AI Transformation Demand in Manufacturing Sites: A Manucorn Company Case,” and a presentation by CEO Kim Jeong-yeob of Ilju G&S Co., Ltd. on “AI Transformation and Digital Transformation Application Cases of Regional Manufacturing Companies.”

In addition, Team Leader Park Jong-seong of LG CNS will present on “A User Guide to Manufacturing AI Transformation: Recommendations to Avoid Failure,” sharing major risks that companies face during the adoption of manufacturing AI and practical response strategies.

In the latter part of the event, an expert panel discussion involving industry, academia, research institutions, and government will be held under the theme “Busan AI Transformation – Manucorn AX.” A total of seven participants, including Professor Won Jong-yun of Tongmyong University and experts in manufacturing, AI, policy, and on-site operations, will engage in in-depth discussions on the direction for promoting Busan-style manufacturing AI transformation based on the AI transformation needs of leading regional companies.

The event is open not only to Busan-style anchor companies but also to small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-sized companies in the Busan region, officials from related institutions, and anyone interested in the AI transformation of manufacturing.

Companies wishing to participate in the 2026 Busan-Style Anchor Company Development Support Program can check the public announcement on the Busan Metropolitan City website at busan.go.kr/nbgosi. Applications can be submitted from January 21 to February 12, 2026, by 4:00 p.m. through the Busan Techno Park online application system at eval.btp.or.kr.

Park Dong-seok, Director of the Advanced Industry Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “The Busan AI Transformation Forum will serve as a starting point for Busan-style anchor companies to lead innovation in regional manufacturing amid the national trend toward AI transformation,” adding, “We will continue to provide support for the AI transformation of manufacturing that companies can tangibly experience through the Manucorn Project.”