CHANGWON — The Changwon National Industrial Complex has been designated an advanced aircraft engine hub, and South Gyeongsang Province said it aims to raise the localization rate for core aircraft engine items to 90% by 2035 from 22% now.
The province said on the 30th that the complex was designated an "advanced aircraft engine specialized complex" in the defense sector under the national advanced strategic industry program. It will pursue a development plan that invests 773.1 billion won ($554 million) through 2036. It is the first time a national advanced strategic industry hub has been designated in South Gyeongsang Province.
The province began preparing for the designation in August last year and applied to the central government in February this year with the Changwon complex as the candidate site. It was selected after an evaluation by the hub subcommittee and deliberation by the National Advanced Strategic Industry Committee. The province, Changwon City and Gyeongnam Technopark drew up the development plan together with companies and institutions in the province, detailing corporate investment, industry-academia-research cooperation, research and testing infrastructure and workforce training for the evaluation.
The national advanced strategic industry hub program is designed to upgrade industrial ecosystems by clustering related companies with research and support functions. It supports industrial infrastructure, joint research and development facilities, corporate technology development and commercialization, and workforce training, while also expediting related permits and approvals.
Aircraft engines require advanced technology because they operate for long periods under high temperatures and high pressure. Core technologies, materials and components are strategic technologies subject to international export controls, making supply chains and technological capability key challenges. The government is pursuing advanced aircraft engine development in stages, aiming to launch the main project in 2028. An advanced aircraft engine refers to a next-generation turbofan engine with base thrust of at least 16,000 pound-force, rising to the 24,000 pound-force class with the afterburner running.
South Gyeongsang Province has clustered capabilities: engine development and manufacturing in Changwon, testing and research in Jinju, and complete aircraft manufacturing in Sacheon. The Changwon complex designated as the hub is home to 43 materials, parts and equipment makers and partner firms, including Hanwha Aerospace, along with the Korea Institute of Materials Science. The province plans to link these with Jinju's testing and research capabilities and Sacheon's complete aircraft industry to build a full-cycle industrial ecosystem running from materials and components to engines and finished aircraft.
The development plan, under the banner of "Gyeongnam, a leading K-defense city, and a Korean-style advanced aircraft engine hub," consists of three strategies and 36 projects: localizing proprietary technology, achieving supply chain self-reliance, and securing implementation capacity for the hub. It will build a base supporting the full cycle from core technology research and development to testing, certification and demonstration, and help materials and parts companies commercialize products and strengthen the skills of their employees. A dedicated task force will be operated, along with cooperative governance among companies, universities and research institutions.
Participating companies including Hanwha Aerospace, Doosan Enerbility and SeAH Changwon Integrated Special Steel have drawn up investment plans totaling 2.28 trillion won ($1.6 billion) in connection with the hub.
Workforce training will proceed in parallel. Gyeongsang National University was selected for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's 2026 specialized graduate school program for advanced industries in the aerospace and defense field, securing 17.2 billion won including state funding. The province has designated this as the first project linked to the hub and plans to train 120 master's and doctoral-level specialists by 2031.
South Gyeongsang Province has set targets of 6 trillion won in revenue, 3 trillion won in exports and more than 8,000 new jobs by 2035. It envisions developing the province into one of the world's top five aircraft engine clusters, centered on the Changwon hub.
Choi Man-lim, vice governor for economic affairs of South Gyeongsang Province, said the designation is "a new start for South Korea's technological self-reliance in advanced aircraft engines." The vice governor added that the province will bring together the capabilities of companies, universities and research institutions so that technology development results lead to corporate growth and quality jobs, and will build an advanced aircraft engine industrial ecosystem that strengthens the competitiveness of the country's aerospace industry.
