Gwangju to host region's largest future tech expo
By Ko Dong-hwan
The latest technological products will be featured in the largest expo of the country's southwestern region to spur future industries in Gwangju later this month.
The Gwangju Future Industry Expo 2023 at Kimdaejung Convention Center will exhibit 14 essential technologies behind the country's vehicles, self-driving cars and auto parts manufacturing industries as well as those for electronic appliances, drones and robots. Some 500 booths prepared by over 300 companies nationwide are expected to be there to explain their products and consult on exports and purchases.
Starting this year, the expo merged different exhibitions that had been held separately in North and South Jeolla provinces ― those for vehicles running on clean energies, local robot industries as well as IoT appliance robots. The merger has expanded this year's expo to a mega size, according to Kim Yong-seung, head of the Artificial Intelligence Industry Bureau under Gwangju's city government.
Held for three days from June 29, the expo features the city's key future technologies including self-driving cars, smart factories and smart metal molding. Gwangju Intelligent Electronics (GIEL), a collaborative umbrella brand for all future electronics made in the city, will also be promoted.
The expo will accommodate both businesses and the public. A job fair, held simultaneously alongside the expo for those in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, will assist jobseekers. On the final day of the expo, around 1,000 teenage students from across the nation will join a robot challenge, competing against each other in six different games including curling and wrestling.
Visitors to the expo will also get a chance to ride new vehicles from the country's biggest carmakers including Hyundai and Kia, fly drones and check out the latest outdoor camping gear.
With the expo organized jointly by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), Gwangju's core industries will see growth in competitiveness and expand sales routes for local small and medium-sized companies, according to Kim.