The 'Chungnam Social Economy Innovation Town,' which will lead Chungnam Province's social economy, has officially begun operations.

The province held the opening ceremony for the 'Chungnam Social Economy Innovation Town' on the 10th in Songbang-ri, Cheongyang-eup, Cheongyang-gun. Approximately 300 people attended, including Deputy Governor Jeon Hyeong-sik, Provincial Council Vice Chairman Jeong Gwang-seop, Cheongyang-gun Mayor Kim Don-gon, and representatives from social economy enterprises.

The Chungnam Social Economy Innovation Town is the first dedicated social economy infrastructure in the province, established with the goal of revitalizing the social economy and fostering its ecosystem. It supports social economy enterprises throughout their entire operation, from startup and education to networking among resident companies and consulting.

A total project cost of 28.7 billion won, including national, provincial, and local government funds, was invested in the facility. It was newly built on the site of the former Cheongyang Girls' Commercial High School, with a total floor area of approximately 7,300 ㎡, spanning one underground floor and four above-ground floors.

The facility houses various amenities, including a prototype production room, exhibition and sales hall, meeting rooms, video production studio, educational facilities, dedicated office spaces for resident companies, and a cafe.

Notably, out of the 34 dedicated office spaces for resident companies, 16 have already been approved for occupancy. Furthermore, 49 registered companies are also expected to utilize the Innovation Town's common spaces, anticipating active collaboration among diverse social economy enterprises.

The province plans to continuously recruit resident and registered companies in the future, allowing more social economy enterprises to utilize the Innovation Town.

At the ceremony, Deputy Governor Jeon stated, "The Chungnam Social Economy Innovation Town will go beyond being a mere physical space; it will become a core space that elevates the value of the regional social economy to the next level." He added, "We will make efforts to discover and promote various support projects for social economy enterprises centered around the Innovation Town, empowering them to grow."

Meanwhile, the opening ceremony also featured a variety of accompanying events, including a public procurement fair, an Innovation Town pop-up content event, a social economy sales exhibition, and an Innovation Town revitalization forum, providing opportunities for social economy enterprises to communicate and exchange information.

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]