First Industrial
Cluster Day Observed

Examines the achievements of seven exemplary industrial estates designated as Korea's exemplary clusters

One year has passed after Korea launched an "industrial complex cluster project"designed to transform industrial complexes into global innovative clusters through industry-academy-research institute collaboration and increased research. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy and the Presidential Committee on Balanced National Development jointly organized the "First Industrial Cluster Day"held on June 8-9 at the Grand InterContinental Hotel in Samseong-dong, southeastern Seoul in cooperation from Korea Industrial Complex Corporation (KICOX) and KOTRA. The event was a kind of rally designed to declare Industrial Cluster Day in celebration of the second anniversary of launching the state-initiated innovative cluster project on June 5 two years ago.
Experts from international and Korean research, industry and academic circles got together to take a look into implementing the innovative cluster project after designating seven industrial estates - the ones in Banweol-Siwha in Gyeonggi Province, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, Gwasngju, Ulsan, Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, and Wonju, Gangwon Province - as Korean exemplary versions of innovative cluster.
Under the theme "industrial Complex Innovative Clusters are our Hopes,"the First Industrial Cluster Day events started with an opening session, followed by the International Conference on Innovative Clusters and the inaugural meeting of the Korean Academic Society for Industrial Cluster and seminar.
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy Chung Sye-kyun said in his commemorative speech during the opening session, "industrial estates should be transformed into innovative clusters to realize a goal of developing Korea into the global top four industrial powerhouse and global top eight trading powerhouse."The government will not spare efforts to expand R&D infrastructure and improve welfare facilities and working conditions, the minister added.
KICOX President Kim Chil-du said the year 2005 was the first year of building an infrastructure for innovative clusters as KICOX held a ceremony declaring industrial innovative clusters last March and inaugurated a cluster group as a result of its reorganization. Starting this year, Kim noted, KICOX will focus on priority tasks designed to set up Korean exemplary versions of innovative clusters - creation of "mini-clusters,"pooling expertise manpower and establishment of online clusters (e-cluster.net), with the target of yielding tangible results from the implementation of the tasks.
During the opening session, five people were presented with presidential or prime minister's awards in recognition of their roles in promoting innovative clusters. They included Chung In-hwa, a general manager of KICOX, who was awarded with the presidential citation.
In the afternoon of June 8, 150 international Korean experts on innovative clusters participated in the International Conference on Innovative Clusters.
Park Sam-ok, professor of Seoul National University, was elected as the first chairman of the Korean Academic Society for Industrial Cluster in its inaugural meeting and seminar held on June 9.
Prof. Park stressed, "Corporations, academic circle and regional autonomous bodies badly need to join forces in building up industrial innovative clusters rather than the government-initiated ones."He expressed his strong determination to present Korean models of innovative clusters within three years.
The professor noted that Korea needs to develop infrastructure according to Korean models that can be explored in consideration of roles of the existing industrial complexes and geographical characteristics rather than introducing such foreign versions as Silicon Valley of the United States.
Prof. Park said his society will concentrate on information by building up the databases of diverse statistics that have been so far collected in a bid to raise industrial complexes'competitive edge. He also added that his society will put more energy into promoting collaboration among industry, academic and research institute circles, while organizing regional seminars and building up networks. nw

The "First Industrial Cluster Day"gets under way on June 8-9 at the Grand InterContinental Hotel.(right photo) Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy Chung Sye-kyun gets a briefing on an industrial complex cluster project from KICOX President Kim Chil-du.