As AI is gradually emerging as a key factor in changing the paradigm of industry and society, countries are competing fiercely for AI leadership and investing in fostering specialized human resources. In Korea, the ICT Innovation Square project has been underway since 2021 to foster local AI talent that can become the foundation of the national economy. As the Chungnam Center of the ICT Complex in Chungcheong Province, Korea Polytechnic University Asan Campus is also participating in the project and operating an ICT technology convergence program.

2023 ICT Innovation Square Expansion Project

Fostering new technology workforce with developer support

The project is expected to have a significant economic impact by creating new industries and revitalizing the local economy through the training of AI experts. The project aims to introduce and utilize new technologies such as AI in specialized industries by fostering new technology manpower and supporting developers through the establishment of ICT Innovation Square regional bases, discovering new business items and building ecosystems for ICT companies in the long term. 

The ICT Complex focuses on building facilities and equipment infrastructure to support the community, organizing technical seminars, innovative technology idea collaboration programs, and supporting SW development and start-ups in cooperation with major ICT companies and institutions. The course is divided into artificial intelligence (building an artificial intelligence education environment, developing an artificial intelligence education curriculum, and training artificial intelligence experts) and blockchain (building a blockchain education environment, developing a blockchain education curriculum, and training blockchain experts) under the broad framework of AI. This year, with the addition of data and IoT, the results are expected to be more substantial.

Growing AI workforce needs

Expecting AI community activities

The curriculum for the ICT Innovation Square diffusion project that Korea Polytechnic University Asan Campus is ambitiously implementing is as follows: Cheonan’s advanced course on data-AI control system, Asan’s course on image cognitive AI development using computer vision technology, and blockchain program Python language acquisition course. This can be seen as a leading talent training program that meets the future job outlook.

How to apply for training is as follows: (Chungcheongnam-do) ICT Innovation Square Homepage - Register - Select AI Convergence Education ⊥ AI/Blockchain/Data/IoT ⊥ Chungnam ⊥ Korea Polytechnic (Asan) Curriculum. Uisun Choi, Director of Korea Polytechnic Asan Industry Academic Cooperation, said “We believe that ICT Innovation Square will play a diverse role in fostering hands-on talent to lead innovative growth by incorporating digital technology into local industries. It is expected to play a big role in distributing AI and SW-related education and manpower concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area. The 2023 ICT Innovation Square expansion project, which is actively underway, is expected to enhance the competitiveness of specialized industries in the Chungcheong-do region and the ICT technology convergence industries such as AI and blockchain. It will respond to the increased demand for recruiting AI experts. We look forward to your interest.”