Incheon Opens ‘ICT Complex,’ a Hub for Nurturing AI and SW Talent

The Ministry of Science and ICT (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon) held an opening ceremony for the ‘Incheon ICT Complex’ on August 25 at the Korea Teachers’ Credit Union Incheon Center, launching the operation of a hub for nurturing artificial intelligence (AI) and software (SW) talent in the Incheon region. As a result, university students, workers and job seekers in the Incheon area can now access AI and SW development equipment and hands-on training locally.

[코리안투데이] Opening ceremony of the Incheon ICT Complex © 장형임 기자

At the opening ceremony, the Ministry of Science and ICT said the Incheon ICT Complex will serve as a hub that cultivates the core AI and SW talent needed on the ground in local industry and supports the artificial intelligence transformation (AX) of regional companies.

The ceremony was attended by Nam Cheol-gi, Director-General for Software Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT; Rep. Lee Hoon-gi (Namdong-B, Incheon); Nam Young-hee, Political Vice Mayor of Incheon; and Lee Byung-rae, head of Namdong-gu, who toured the newly established SW and AI training facilities and the space for corporate-linked AX projects.

The ICT Complex is a regional hub that the Ministry of Science and ICT has operated since 2018 to nurture hands-on AI and SW talent. To date, it has provided AI and SW education and infrastructure across five regions nationwide — the Capital area (Seoul), the Southeast (Busan), the Northeast (Pohang), the Honam region (Gwangju) and the Chungcheong region (Cheongju) — and the Incheon opening adds one more hub. Each hub supports the AX transition of local industry while also running education programs in cooperation with major domestic and global tech companies such as Google, Amazon and Naver.

The Incheon ICT Complex lends equipment and servers needed for AI and SW development and testing to university students, workers and job seekers, and provides employment and start-up support programs including tiered training by skill level, community spaces and various networking events. With a step-by-step curriculum spanning from the basics to advanced levels, it plans to serve a wide range of users, from first-time learners to those seeking to build practical skills.

In particular, in cooperation with local universities and companies, it will carry out education projects linked to specialized initiatives that reflect Incheon’s regional characteristics, such as bio, ports, and manufacturing and logistics. The aim is to cultivate talent tailored to the needs of local industry.

In addition to the ICT Complex, the Ministry of Science and ICT operates two separate training centers in Incheon’s Michuhol and Songdo areas. Through these, it plans to continuously identify and run AI and SW education and corporate-linked projects to support the employment and start-ups of young people in the Incheon region.

Nam Cheol-gi, Director-General for Software Policy, said, ‘We hope the Incheon ICT Complex will meet the region’s strong demand for AI and SW education and establish itself as a hub that drives Incheon’s AI- and SW-based digital innovation.’ He added, ‘In particular, we will actively support it so that it becomes a catalyst for cultivating the core AI and SW talent that local industry needs and for supporting the AX transition of regional companies.’

지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화