Gyeonggi Province will build an artificial intelligence-based regional fire safety network at high fire-risk facilities such as industrial complexes, logistics facilities and traditional markets by December 2027.
The province announced Wednesday that its "Gyeonggi Province Industrial Complex and Logistics Facility AI Early Fire Detection System" was selected as the final winner of the "2026 On-Device AI Service Demonstration and Expansion" competition organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT). The total project budget is 9.8 billion won, including 5.9 billion won in state funds.
According to the province, based on the 2025 Gyeonggi Province Fire Statistics Yearbook, fires at non-residential facilities such as factories and warehouses accounted for the largest share at 41.8 percent of the total. These facilities have few resident personnel, which can delay early detection when a fire breaks out, raising significant concerns about large-scale casualties and property damage.
The core of the project is to immediately detect and respond to signs of fire on-site using on-device AI technology. On-device AI is a technology that analyzes data on the device itself without sending it to an external server. It has minimal communication delays and can operate independently even in vulnerable environments.
Gyeonggi Technopark will serve as the implementing agency for the project, with participation from the cities of Suwon, Hwaseong and Icheon, along with AI specialist companies. The demonstration sites include Suwon's Delta Plex, Hwaseong's Hyangnam Pharmaceutical Complex and traditional markets, and Icheon's industrial, fashion and logistics complexes.
The province will convert its existing CCTV surveillance system to an AI-based one to detect flames and smoke in real time. It will also analyze changes in chemical substances such as gases using graphene electronic nose sensors. By applying domestically produced AI semiconductors, it will rapidly process on-site data, and detection information will be transmitted to an integrated control platform.
The platform will analyze risk levels, send alerts to personnel in charge and automatically generate reports. At Suwon's Resource Recycling Center, an AI firefighting robot demonstration will also be conducted in parallel. The robot will be deployed to fire sites to check video and heat sources and support initial firefighting efforts.
"We will apply AI technology to administrative fields to protect the lives and property of residents," said Kim Ki-byung, director of Gyeonggi Province's AI Bureau. "We will expand cases of AI administrative innovation that residents can tangibly experience."
