Daegu Medical Device Joint Manufacturing Center, Commercialization of Human-Derived Collagen Medical Devices, etc.

Gyeongbuk Electric Vehicle Battery Comprehensive Pavilion

Daegu has been designated as a "Smart Wellness" Regulation-Free Special Zone, while North Gyeongsang Province has been designated as a "Next-Generation Battery" Regulation-Free Special Zone.

On the 23rd, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups finalized the designation of seven Regulation-Free Special Zones across seven regions, including the Daegu Smart Wellness zone and the North Gyeongsang Next-Generation Battery zone.

The Daegu Smart Wellness Regulation-Free Special Zone will involve 37 companies and four demonstration projects across a total area of ​​14.79 million square meters, spanning four locations including the Daegu High-Tech Medical Complex.

The demonstration projects include establishing a joint manufacturing facility for advanced medical devices, building a commercialization platform for medical devices utilizing human-derived collagen, validating a smart clinical trial and management platform, and developing an IoT-based wellness information service platform.

A total of 73.2 billion won—comprising 42.9 billion won in state funding and 21.7 billion won in municipal funding—is set to be invested in these projects from this year through 2022.

Through these demonstration projects, Daegu City anticipates creating approximately 400 jobs in the emerging healthcare market over five years, attracting 14 specialized zone enterprises, and securing 20 billion won in direct private sector investment.

A "Regulation-Free Special Zone" for next-generation batteries will operate in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, for four years to demonstrate the comprehensive management, reuse, and recycling of used electric vehicle batteries.

The zone encompasses two areas—the Yeongilman Industrial Complex and the Blue Valley Industrial Complex—covering approximately 561,000 square meters (about 170,000 pyeong).

A total of 46 billion won in funding (including 24.6 billion won from the central government) will be provided over the four-year period, starting with 9 billion won this year.

The Special Zone project is being pursued in the form of a demonstration initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Participating operators include companies equipped with secondary battery production and recycling technologies and facilities—such as EcoPro GEM, SI Cell, GS E&C, People Works, Sungho Enterprise, and Gyeongbuk Technopark—along with approximately 20 partner companies, including Inseon Motors.

Gyeongsangbuk-do projects that the designation of this Special Zone will attract over 100 billion won in new investments and create more than 1,000 direct jobs over the next four years, driven by the participation of six large and mid-sized enterprises from other regions, including the Seoul metropolitan area.

Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheol-woo stated, "This Special Zone designation is the result of groundbreaking industrial policy innovation that achieves a 'three-in-one' effect: fostering new industries, attracting investment, and creating jobs in Gyeongbuk." He added, "Building on recent remarkable achievements in the science and industry sectors, we will revitalize the economies of Pohang and Gumi—the heart of Gyeongbuk’s industrial economy—and further boost the momentum for building a 'happy economy driven by a fresh wind of change.'"

By Reporters Moon Jeong-hwa (moonjh@idaegu.com) and Lee Ju-hyung (leejh@idaegu.com)

Source: Daegu Ilbo (https://www.idaegu.com)