NHN Cloud, a subsidiary of NHN (181710.KS), the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (SBC), and the AI Industry-Academia-Research Association announced Thursday that they signed a three-way memorandum of understanding to support the growth of artificial intelligence small and medium-sized venture enterprises in the Honam region.
The agreement was signed at the Gwangju AI Data Center, Korea's first AI-specialized data center. The partnership aligns with the government's "5 Hubs, 3 Special Zones" strategy for balanced regional development and the push to integrate Gwangju and South Jeolla Province administratively. It aims to build an AI industry ecosystem in the Honam region, support AI company growth and accelerate AI transformation (AX) adoption across manufacturing sites.
Under the agreement, the SBC will help AI-adopting companies commercialize their technologies and expand globally. The agency will provide policy funding through investment and loans, export assistance, startup support and corporate growth training programs. It also plans to offer customized programs and consulting services tailored to each stage of a company's growth to strengthen competitiveness.
The AI Industry-Academia-Research Association will identify companies in need of support among its member firms and coordinate inter-agency cooperation to ensure policy and infrastructure support reaches them effectively. The association will also serve as a communication channel to convey industry demand and on-the-ground conditions.
NHN Cloud will provide infrastructure essential for building AI services, including cloud credits, security technology and technical development support for selected companies. Through its high-performance GPU-based environment, NHN Cloud plans to help companies develop AI solutions and services without the burden of heavy upfront investment.
NHN Cloud has been providing GPU-centric AI infrastructure based at the Gwangju AI Data Center and has contributed to building corporate AI adoption environments through AI education and technical support. The latest agreement is expected to extend these infrastructure resources to regional SMEs, accelerate AI technology adoption and commercialization, and bolster the regional AI industry ecosystem and AX expansion.
"This agreement has laid the groundwork for SMEs considering AI technology adoption to receive simultaneous support in funding, education and infrastructure," said Cho Han-gyo, executive director of human resources growth at SBC. "We will continue to actively address the challenges faced by companies adopting AI and support SMEs in their growth."
"With demand for AI technology rising, there is still a need to better connect companies with support agencies in the field," said Jeong Ji-seong, chairman of the AI Industry-Academia-Research Association. "We will strengthen our role as a bridge to ensure that policy and infrastructure are effectively delivered to the field."
An NHN Cloud official said, "This agreement is meaningful in that it provides timely infrastructure needed for AI development and supports companies in focusing on actual service development and commercialization." The official added, "We will continue to work with related agencies to advance AI adoption environments and strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs."