Province Secures 10 Billion KRW in National Funding from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's '2025 Industrial Innovation Infrastructure Construction' Program
Research and Development Support Center and Test Site to be Established in the Naepo Agro-Life Convergence Industry Cluster
Amidst the accelerating trend of carbon neutrality and digital transformation (DX) across industries, South Chungcheong Province is taking the lead in establishing an eco-friendly digital agricultural mobility industrial ecosystem.

The province announced on the 21st that its project, 'Establishment of Demonstration Infrastructure for Digitalization and Electrification of Medium and Large-Sized Eco-Friendly Agricultural Machinery,' was finally selected for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's '2025 Industrial Innovation Infrastructure Construction' program, securing 10 billion KRW in national funding.

The project will be carried out within the 'Naepo Agro-Life Convergence Industry Cluster' in Sangseong-ri, Sapgyo-eup, Yesan-gun. This is expected to boost the development of the 'Naepo Agro-Life Convergence Industry Cluster,' which aims to innovate and advance agricultural production and increase the added value of agriculture.

A total project cost of 21.2 billion KRW, including 10 billion KRW in national funds, will be invested over the next five years, starting this year. An R&D support center for eco-friendly agricultural machinery technology and a farm work performance test site will be built on a 25,095㎡ area by 2027, and testing and evaluation equipment will be introduced.

The R&D support center will provide comprehensive support throughout the entire lifecycle of agricultural machinery and core components for companies and research institutes, including design, development, testing, evaluation, and demonstration. The primary focus will be on agricultural machinery (tractors, harvesters, sprayers, etc.) of 55kW or more powered by eco-friendly sources such as electricity and hydrogen.

Notably, the project will leverage digital twin (DT) technology to create virtual simulations of agricultural work environments, maximizing the technological development efficiency of the domestic agricultural machinery industry and emphasizing the promotion of eco-friendly agricultural machinery.

The project will be led by the Industry-Academia Cooperation Foundation of Chungnam National University (Eco-Friendly Hydrogen and Electric Agricultural Machinery Research Center, with Professor Kim Yong-ju of the Department of Smart Agriculture Systems Engineering as the project manager). The Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement, and the Agri-Machinery Energetics Technology Commercialization Research Association will participate as joint executing organizations, adding to the project's expertise.

The lead organization, Chungnam National University's Eco-Friendly Hydrogen and Electric Agricultural Machinery Research Center, is recognized as a leading institution in the development of eco-friendly agricultural machinery technology, having developed the world's first 110kW hydrogen fuel cell-based tractor.

With the future opening of Chungnam National University's Naepo Campus, the Graduate School of Digital Agriculture is also scheduled to relocate there. This is expected to create a synergistic effect, fostering a virtuous cycle of eco-friendly agricultural machinery development and talent cultivation through industry-academia-research collaboration.

Furthermore, the joint executing organizations, the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, and the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement, possess extensive experience in supporting corporate technology. Yesan-gun, located in the central part of the country, is expected to provide effective support to agricultural machinery companies scattered across the nation.

The global agricultural machinery market is rapidly changing due to carbon neutrality and digitalization/electrification. Proactive technology development is crucial for securing the global market competitiveness of the domestic agricultural machinery industry, which is currently centered around internal combustion engines.

The province expects that the technology development infrastructure established through this public offering will not only contribute to securing the competitiveness of the domestic agricultural machinery industry but also contribute to sustainable agricultural development in response to climate change by promoting the adoption of eco-friendly agricultural machinery.

Ahn Ho, Director of the Industry and Economy Office of South Chungcheong Province, emphasized, "We plan to secure new growth engines by expanding the scope of Chungnam's key mobility industry to include agricultural machinery. Chungnam has a high proportion of agriculture, accounting for 14.1% of the nation's paddy and field area, and a strong manufacturing base, ranking third in the automotive and machinery industries, giving us a competitive edge in agricultural mobility. We will nurture the Naepo Agro-Life Convergence Industry Cluster as a hub for the eco-friendly agricultural mobility industry."

Meanwhile, in August of last year, Governor Kim Tae-heum signed a business agreement with Yesan County Governor Choi Jae-gu, Chungnam National University President Kim Jeong-kyum, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials President Ryu Seok-hyun, and LS Mtron CEO Shin Jae-ho to promote the 'Chungnam Digital Agricultural Mobility Industry.' In January of this year, a 'Future Technology Forum for Eco-Friendly Agricultural Machinery' was held in Yesan-gun Office with the participation of agricultural machinery company representatives from across the country, laying the groundwork for the successful implementation of the project.