Incheon opens AI Innovation Center, creating a foundation for quantum computing

Incheon is working with Amazon Web Services (AWS), a global cloud service company, to build an artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem customized to suit Incheon’s local conditions, which it hopes to use in building a sustainable smart city that can dramatically improve the lives of its citizens. AWS is the cloud computing business arm of Amazon (Amazon.com), the world’s largest e-commerce company.

Incheon announced on March 31 that it had signed an “MOU for shared growth of AI future technologies” with AWS at its City Hall reception room.

With this MOU, Incheon will work towards building an AI ecosystem tailored the city by actively utilizing AWS’ advanced technology and expertise in developing AI companies as well as innovative solutions featuring future technology (quantum computing).

▲ On March 31, Incheon signed an “MOU for Shared Growth of AI Future Technologies” with AWS.

Incheon has long been at the Center of developing global business initiatives for Korea using its international cities - Songdo, Cheongna, and Yeongjong - as hubs for overseas expansion. The city is home to the world-class, state-of-the-art Incheon International Airport and Incheon Port, and a number of international organizations (e.g. Green Climate Fund), international schools(e.g. Chadwick International School), and multinational corporations. To date, Incheon has tried to pursue various collaborative projects with overseas entities and overseas expansion projects. However, there are many issues that need to be ironed out to facilitate the full-fledged global business expansion or cooperation with overseas players moving forward.

Also, although Incheon’s old city center has been at the Center of multiple urban regeneration projects, Incheon will have to expand the target area and find more effective ways to improve medical services for people with poor access to hospitals and clinics.

Incheon has continued to promote “smart urbanization” of its new city centers over the years, and has gradually improved the environment of the old city center with help from the public, but the consensus is that these conventional measures still have their limitations when it comes to actively responding to fast-changing trends.

Accordingly, Incheon will strategically cooperate with AWS, a global cloud service company, through this latest MOU.

First, in close cooperation with AWS, Incheon will jointly promote a support project so that AI convergence(start-up) companies with substantial growth potential in the Incheon area can grow into global unicorn companies.

Selected candidates will be given a chance to utilize various programs and facilities provided by the City Government. Also, AWS is expected to provide training, business consulting services, and technical support using the AWS cloud to selected candidates, helping AI companies grow their business and successfully enter the global market.

The solution created here in Incheon will be launched across Korea via the AWS Marketplace, and at the same time, will have a chance to participate in sales and international public procurement on the global market.

▲ With this MOU, Incheon will work towards building an AI ecosystem tailored the city by actively utilizing AWS’ advanced technology and expertise in developing AI companies as well as innovative solutions featuring future technology (quantum computing).

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Second, Incheon plans to build a medical big data system in the Songdo International City area in cooperation with AWS as well as existing hospitals and newly opened hospitals in Incheon to collate and analyze data for better health care. Also, Incheon will look to build a bio health-based data platform that can be used for more precise diagnoses of cancer and improved treatment performance of medical facilities.

Using these data systems, Incheon will create a medical and health big data convergence and analysis environment that can more effectively monitor the elderly and chronically ill patients with heart disease using solutions such as remote heart monitoring services in neighborhoods with poor access to medical facilities (e.g. old city center).

In doing so, the city will use data to provide customized medical and welfare services for the elderly, the medically vulnerable, and patients in areas with poor medical coverage.

Third, Incheon will use its cutting-edge technology and environment to accelerate Incheon’s evolution as an intelligent smart city, and to push its projects aimed at regenerating the old city center.

Moving forward, Incheon will use 5G technology to improve data, artificial intelligence, and IoT environments capable of systematically monitoring, managing, and improving the actual conditions and operational status of the city center.

By introducing a 5G-based digital twin system, Incheon will manage facilities such as major venues, roads, ports, and bridges in the old city center as well as in the new urban centers in real-time, and apply IoT technology evenly throughout the city to improve safety, environment, and traffic conditions.

Various operational status data including water/sewage quality will be monitored in different ways throughout the city, helping officials identify and verify problems in real-time.

Also, Incheon will make the collated data publicly available for private citizens and businesses to make use of information in terms of the environment and public welfare.

To that end, Incheon is preparing a 5G-based digital twin project, which is part of the central government’s Korean Digital New Deal.

Fourth, Incheon will open the “Incheon AI Innovation Center”(tentative) in cooperation with AWS to build an AI ecosystem that is tailored to Incheon’s environment to support specialized industries in the region that uses AI technology and accelerate the city’s transition into an intelligent smart city.

AWS is capable of processing up to 100 million times faster than the existing computing environment in Incheon, which can help the city meet the rapidly increasing demand for AI in the region and to create a next-generation intelligent smart city environment. Also, AWS will help build a quantum computing(QC) environment that is drawing attention as the technology of choice for future computing environments.

With AWS, companies, universities, research institutes, and start-ups in Incheon and the nearby region will be able to enjoy an environment in which various intelligent smart cities and AI solutions can be verified and implemented at a much faster rate. 

Mayor Park Namchoon said, “Incheon is offering an opportunity for AI convergence companies in Incheon to quickly cope with the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 by cooperating with AWS, and to quickly enter the global market by using AWS Regions located around the world. With the advanced technology of AWS, Incheon will build an AI ecosystem tailored to local conditions, accelerate intelligent smart urbanization, and quickly improve the welfare and medical environment for our citizens.”

He added, “The Incheon AI Innovation Center (tentative), which we are expecting to open soon, will operate an AI cooperation program with AWS to provide an environment where we can access new technologies offered by AWS before other competitors. This will hopefully help create an intelligent smartcity in the Incheon area. AWS is expected to give our city a massive boost in securing a global level of competitiveness by expanding the AI convergence ecosystem where AI convergence companies can commercialize new technologies such as AI/quantum computing.”