Shinhan Financial Group said on Tuesday it will create three strategic funds worth a total of 350 billion won to expand key infrastructure and energy supply chains for building South Korea's "AI highway".

Shinhan Financial recently completed three strategic funds: the Shinhan Data Centre Development Fund No. 2 worth 125 billion won for building data centres, which are the foundation of the AI industry; the Shinhan Carbon Neutral Solar Fund worth 170 billion won to secure an eco-friendly energy supply chain that supports AI infrastructure operations; and the Shinhan Infrastructure Development Fund No. 3 worth 54 billion won to expand the base for the country's advanced strategic industries.

Among them, the solar fund will be deployed immediately in the first quarter and is expected to serve as seed capital for green industries aligned with the government's carbon neutrality and AI industry fostering drive.

Shinhan Financial also plans to continue pre-emptive investment steps by reviewing about five additional projects to supply, in a timely manner, the infrastructure needed for the expansion of the AI industry.

Shinhan Financial last month launched a CEO-led task force to drive productive finance and activated a groupwide execution system. Under the CEO-direct reporting structure, it increased decision-making speed and systemised business feasibility checks and risk management through role sharing among subsidiaries.

Through this, it aims to secure the stability of large-scale strategic investments by consistently managing the entire process from sourcing projects to executing investments and post-investment management.

Jin Ok-dong (진옥동), chairman of Shinhan Financial, said, "In the AX era, we are providing all-around financial support to build an AI highway that will become the foundation of a hyper-innovative economy." He said, "Shinhan Financial will go beyond simply supplying funds and, by jointly designing and building future industrial infrastructure, will solidify a virtuous cycle in which customers and companies grow together."