Daejeon City and the Republic of Korea (ROK) Army signed a business agreement at Daejeon City Hall on the 28th to establish a defense Artificial Intelligence Transformation (AX) cooperation system and support local defense companies.

The agreement ceremony was attended by Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jung and ROK Army Chief of Staff Kim Kyu-ha. It was arranged to establish a cooperation system for developing national defense AI technology and supporting local defense companies by connecting the ROK Army's military data and demand with Daejeon's industry-academia-research AI capabilities.

The main contents of the agreement include: ▲ Expanding exchanges and cooperation among industry, academia, research institutes, government, and the military related to defense AX; ▲ Cooperating on the use of national defense data and technology development by defense companies and research institutes; and ▲ Jointly discovering, planning, and commercializing research and development tasks based on defense AX demand.

In accordance with the 9th popular election pledge to "establish a defense AX cluster," Daejeon City plans to foster the former Daedeok Police Station site in Munpyeong-dong as a core hub supporting AI technology development and demonstration for defense companies. Starting with the ROK Army AX Daejeon Hub, Phase 1 will establish testing and demonstration infrastructure in the test building, while Phase 2 will remodel the main building to expand comprehensive support functions for defense companies.

The ROK Army AX Daejeon Hub, the core axis of the defense AX cluster, will be established in the civil service building on the site. The ROK Army Headquarters will operate the hub, while KAIST will be in charge of AI technology development and education, and Hannam University will build infrastructure such as a data safe zone and AI servers. Based on the ROK Army's field demand, the city plans to establish a cooperation system where the ROK Army demonstrates and verifies AI technologies and solutions developed by companies and research institutions utilizing national defense data.

Daejeon City has continuously cooperated with the ROK Army and the local defense industry, and after active proposals from the Daejeon Defense Industry Cooperative and discussions with the ROK Army, the former Daedeok Police Station site was finally selected as the hub space. The hub is being created with the goal of opening in late October following remodeling and other processes.

Recently, as Daejeon was selected for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's "Defense Materials, Parts, and Equipment Specialized Complex," the foundation for supporting companies linked with the defense AX cluster has been strengthened. Daejeon City plans to enhance the technological competitiveness of local defense companies by linking the development and localization of advanced guided weapon core parts in the defense specialized complex with the AI technology development and demonstration of the defense AX cluster.

Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jung stated, "The ROK Army AX Daejeon Hub will serve as a venue for innovation connecting the ROK Army's field demand and defense data with Daejeon's AI research capabilities and defense companies' technological prowess." He added, "By organically linking the defense materials, parts, and equipment specialized complex and the defense AX cluster, we will build a defense AX ecosystem ranging from technology development to demonstration and commercialization, and actively support enhancing the competitiveness of local defense companies."

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