The Chungcheong region is leading innovation in the future mobility industry.
The Chungcheong Regional Union announced Thursday that it will begin recruiting companies for the "2026 Chungcheong Region Future Vehicle Industry Innovation Support Program" starting May 20 at Chungnam Technopark, aiming to accelerate local auto parts companies' transition to future mobility and strengthen collaborative networks.
The Chungcheong Regional Union will invest a total of 300 million won ($220,000) in the project, with Chungnam Technopark, a public institution specializing in future mobility, managing its execution.
The program will help existing parts companies centered on internal combustion engines smoothly transform into the future mobility industry, including autonomous driving and eco-friendly vehicles.
Eligible applicants are auto parts companies and related upstream and downstream businesses with headquarters, facilities or research centers in the Chungcheong region, which covers South Chungcheong, North Chungcheong, Daejeon and Sejong. The program will particularly focus on supporting wide-area collaborative models that cross provincial boundaries, such as Sejong-South Chungcheong and Daejeon-North Chungcheong partnerships, to build regional supply chains.
The program offers five customized support tracks tailored to corporate needs: prototype development for future mobility transition to build wide-area supply chains, R&D planning consulting, testing and evaluation support, patent support, and certification support.
In particular, prototype development support will operate through a wide-area supply chain model based on collaboration between upstream and downstream companies within the Chungcheong region.
Selection will be based on a comprehensive review of the business plan's feasibility, technological excellence and marketability, with preference given to companies pursuing restructuring for future mobility transition.
"This program will support companies in securing future competitiveness and create new growth engines for the regional economy," an official from the Chungcheong Regional Union said.
