[Digital Today reporter Ji-young Lee] BNK Financial Group is launching productive finance investment to foster strategic industries in the Southeast region and nurture local innovative companies.

BNK Financial said on Tuesday it has completed the formation of the 50 billion won "BNK Productive Finance Strategic Fund" and will begin full-scale investment.

The fund was created to support the building of an industrial finance ecosystem in the Southeast region and to nurture local innovative companies, in line with the second-term management direction of Chairman Bin Dae-in (빈대인). It is a group-level investment platform formed through joint capital commitments from BNK Busan Bank, BNK Kyongnam Bank, BNK Capital and BNK Venture Investment.

BNK Venture Investment will manage the fund. Key investment targets include strategic industries in the Southeast region such as shipbuilding and marine, aviation and space, energy and chemicals, and defense and mobility, as well as innovative companies with technological capabilities and growth potential.

BNK Financial plans to use the fund to support strengthening the competitiveness of local industries and securing future growth engines.

The group selected the marine industry as the first investment sector. It plans to prioritize investment in promising companies in the Southeast region’s marine and fisheries fields that have growth potential and innovativeness, to support strengthening the competitiveness of the region’s marine industry.