DAEJEON — The Army's AI transformation (AX) hub in Daejeon, the centerpiece of a defense AX cluster, will open next month.
The Daejeon Metropolitan Government and the Army signed a memorandum of understanding at Daejeon City Hall on Sept. 28 to build a cooperative framework for defense AX and support local defense companies.
Daejeon Mayor Huh Tae-jung and Army Chief of Staff Kim Kyu-ha agreed to link the Army's military data and field needs with the AI capabilities of Daejeon's industry, academia and research institutes, establishing a framework for defense AI technology development and support for local defense firms.
The two sides agreed to expand exchanges and cooperation among industry, academia, research institutes, government and the military on defense AX; to cooperate on the use of defense data and technology development by defense companies and research institutes; and to identify, plan and commercialize joint research projects based on defense AX demand.
Under Mayor Huh Tae-jung's pledge, made as head of Daejeon's current (ninth popularly elected) city government, to create a defense AX cluster, the city plans to develop the former Daedeok Police Station site in Munpyeong-dong into a core base supporting AI technology development and testing by defense companies. The site is scheduled to open in late October after remodeling.
Along with the Army's AX Daejeon hub, the city will build testing and demonstration infrastructure in the testing building in the first phase, then remodel the main building in the second phase to expand comprehensive support functions for defense companies.
The Army's AX Daejeon hub, the centerpiece of the defense AX cluster, will be located in the civil affairs building on the former police station site. Army Headquarters will operate the hub, KAIST will handle AI technology development and education, and Hannam University will build infrastructure including a data safe zone and AI servers. The plan is to identify cooperative projects based on the Army's field needs and to have the Army test and verify AI technologies and solutions developed by companies and research institutes using defense data.
The city plans to strengthen the technological competitiveness of local defense firms by linking the development and localization of core components for advanced guided weapons under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's specialized complex for defense materials, parts and equipment with AI technology development and testing at the defense AX cluster.
"We will develop the Army's AX Daejeon hub into a defense AX ecosystem that extends from technology development to testing and commercialization," Mayor Huh said.
