South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA) said on Tuesday they will solicit operators through April 6 for new AI and digital pilot projects in three areas to speed up regional artificial intelligence and digital transformation and strengthen the competitiveness of key local industries.

The projects will cover shipbuilding and offshore, Age-Tech and AI reliability. They will develop AI and digital products and services linked to specialised local industries and support commercialisation and global expansion through on-site demonstration.

The ministry has operated programmes to strengthen regional digital capabilities across 14 metropolitan cities and provinces since 2006. Since 2024, it has promoted AI and digital pilot projects linked to key local industries such as ships and fisheries. As a result, eight participating companies won CES 2026 innovation awards.

The ministry will invest a total of 9 billion won in three strategic areas this year. In shipbuilding and offshore, it will 추진 an 'AI specialised platform and application 구축 and demonstration project for ships'. It will shift ship control to a software-integrated management approach and verify safety and reliability using a digital twin. The project will run through 2029, with a budget of 5 billion won this year.

In Age-Tech, it will 추진 the 'creation of an Age-Tech demonstration hub based on a marine culture city'. It plans to verify wearable robots and AI-based sleep care solutions on site and build a senior experiential living lab. The project will run through 2030, with a budget of 3 billion won this year.

In AI reliability, it will 추진 an 'AI reliability innovation demonstration' project that supports AI risk and safety analysis for regional small and medium-sized companies. It will support local companies' responses to domestic and overseas regulations and global expansion through programmes to improve AI reliability and design. The 2026 budget is 1 billion won.

Nam Cheol-gi (남철기), director general for software policy at the ministry, said, "We will actively support regional innovation cases so they can lead globally beyond South Korea through the three major pilot projects newly starting this year."