The Incheon Metropolitan Government has embarked on building a defense industry ecosystem specializing in edge-AI-based counter-drone technology. The city (Mayor Park Chan-dae) announced that on the 2nd it held the ‘Incheon Defense Industry Innovation Cluster Regional Council’, appointing members and deliberating on and approving the proposed ‘Incheon Defense Industry Innovation Cluster Business Plan’.
 [코리안투데이] Launch ceremony of the Incheon Defense Industry Innovation Cluster Regional Council © 장형임 기자 |
The Incheon Defense Industry Innovation Cluster project is a large-scale initiative to build a region-centered defense industry ecosystem, designating ‘AI Aviation (edge-AI-based counter-drone)’ as its specialized field. As unmanned aircraft have recently emerged as a threat to both actual battlefields and urban security, the plan aims to localize the relevant countermeasure technologies by linking them with the region’s industrial base.
Key initiatives to be pursued comprehensively include the development of core technologies to neutralize and intercept illegal drones, the establishment of testing and demonstration infrastructure, the fostering of strong small and medium-sized enterprises and support for their entry into the defense supply chain, and the training of specialized personnel. These efforts target a full-cycle support system spanning research and development (R&D), demonstration, commercialization and startup creation, and entry into the supply chains of the military and systems integrators.
The regional council launched that day is composed of 19 defense industry experts from industry, academia, research institutions, the military and government. The co-chairs are the Administrative Vice Mayor of Incheon and the Director-General of the Defense Industry Promotion Bureau at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, who together oversee the deliberation and approval of key projects and inter-agency cooperation. In particular, with the broad participation of experts from key demand institutions such as the military and systems integrators, the council will set the direction of technology development to match on-site needs and support the entry of outstanding small, medium and venture firms based in Incheon into the defense supply chain.
The meeting addressed the five-year (2026–2030) master plan and the detailed project implementation plan for the first year (2026). The members shared a sense of urgency regarding the localization of core counter-drone technologies that have rapidly gained prominence on the modern battlefield, and discussed cooperative measures to nurture promising Incheon companies into strong defense industry firms.
Specifically, to respond to illegal drones intruding near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) and into urban areas, the plan will advance everything from edge-AI-based detection systems to interceptor drone technology, and complete a full-cycle defense ecosystem that handles testing and demonstration using local infrastructure in a one-stop manner. To this end, the city will upgrade its support system and, through the ‘Incheon Defense Industry Innovation Cluster Project Group’, plans to hold a 2026 project briefing in September.
This project is also closely tied to the structural transformation of the region’s manufacturing sector. Using the launch of the council as an opportunity, the city intends to discover and nurture leading companies in next-generation counter-drone defense by 2030, accelerate the high-value defense conversion of the region’s core manufacturing industries, and elevate Incheon into a ‘strategic hub of the Republic of Korea’s AI aviation defense industry’. For local small, medium and venture firms, this opens up an opportunity to secure a stable pathway into the supply chain and a foundation for demonstration.
Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae stressed, ‘The launch of this regional council is a decisive starting point for putting Incheon’s blueprint for the future defense industry into full-scale action through close cooperation among industry, academia, research, the military and government.’ He added, ‘Through full-cycle, one-stop support tailored to on-site needs, we will actively support Incheon’s promising companies so that they can firmly safeguard the Republic of Korea’s national defense and security and grow into leaders of the global K-defense market.’
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화
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