Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City to Hold Certification Ceremony and CEO Roundtable for Four Companies in Third Cohort of Busan Anchor Companies

내용

Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, will hold a certification ceremony for four newly selected companies in the third cohort of the 2026 Busan Anchor Companies at 10:00 a.m. today, August 24, at Avani Central Busan, followed by a roundtable for the CEOs of all 13 Busan Anchor Companies from the first through third cohorts.

The event will be attended by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, CEOs and executives of Busan Anchor Companies from the first through third cohorts, and representatives of Manucon Partners, an institutional partnership network.

Manucon Partners comprises Busan Metropolitan City, Busan Techno Park, Busan Startup Investment Agency, Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, Korea Credit Guarantee Fund, Korea Technology Finance Corporation, Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Busan Employers Federation, the Busan-Ulsan Chapter of the INNOBIZ Association, Busan Venture Business Association, the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Federation of the MainBiz Association, Busan Federation of SME Convergence, and the Southeast Region Council of the Korea Startup Forum.

The Busan Anchor Company Development Support Program identifies manufacturing companies with strong technological competitiveness, high growth potential, and significant potential impact on the regional industrial ecosystem, and develops them into core companies representing Busan.

The program began with three companies in its first cohort in 2024, followed by six companies in the second cohort in 2025 and four additional companies in the third cohort this year, bringing the total number of Busan Anchor Companies to 13.

The certification ceremony was organized to mark the full-scale launch of the Busan Anchor Company Development Support Program after completing in-depth focus group interviews and business plan consulting for the four companies that were finally selected in April.

This year’s four selected companies consist of one Pre-Anchor company, JEMZECO Co., Ltd.; two Anchor companies, BMT Co., Ltd. and Halla IMS Co., Ltd.; and one Top-tier Anchor company, Daeyang Electric Co., Ltd. As these companies are directly connected to future growth industries that Busan Metropolitan City has recently prioritized, including shipbuilding and marine industries and power semiconductors, their selection is also significant in terms of upgrading the region’s industrial structure and securing new engines of growth.

The in-depth focus group interviews were conducted through on-site visits by Busan Metropolitan City, Busan Techno Park, and a panel of experts in such fields as AX, patents, law, accounting, and management. During the visits, they met with company representatives and working-level staff to discuss key issues, growth plans, and other matters.

Following the certification ceremony, a CEO roundtable will be held for the CEOs of all 13 Busan Anchor Companies from the first through third cohorts under the theme “The AI and AX Transformation: Challenges and Solutions for Manufacturing CEOs.”

Participants will discuss how manufacturing AI and AX, as well as physical AI, are expected to transform corporate management and production sites amid the rapidly changing manufacturing environment. They will also explore response strategies that regional manufacturers should prepare and new opportunities for growth.

Shim Sung-hyun, a professor at Changwon National University and a member of the Presidential National AI Strategy Committee, and Park Jong-sung, a team leader at LG CNS and author of “The Battle for Physical AI Supremacy,” will participate in the roundtable. They will share insights on AI and AX policies, trends in industrial transformation, the physical AI megatrend, and its implications from the perspective of manufacturing companies.

As the program enters its third year, Busan Metropolitan City has begun a new phase of actively developing the selected companies into a core group of manufacturers representing Busan.

With a total of 13 Anchor Companies selected from 2024 through this year, the program is expanding its portfolio across both Busan’s major manufacturing industries and future growth industries, including shipbuilding, marine industries, semiconductors, mobility, and energy.

Busan Metropolitan City also plans to establish a dedicated performance evaluation framework for the Busan Anchor Company Development Support Program to ensure systematic program management. Alongside the growth of participating companies, the city will measure the broader impact of the program on regional industries.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo is expected to say, “The technologies and ambitions of Busan Anchor Companies will strengthen the competitiveness of Busan’s industries, and every job they create will help put Busan back in motion.”

He will add, “Busan Metropolitan City will be the most dependable partner for our business leaders, delivering support and meaningful change that companies can genuinely experience on the ground.”