Diplomacy Journal Kim Tae Yeon | The Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province, home to a population of 1.07 million, is accelerating its transformation from a mere “bedroom community” into a self-sufficient city where businesses and jobs grow together.

At the heart of this effort lies an industry-academia cooperation strategy that links the aerospace expertise and research capabilities of Korea Aerospace University with Goyang’s transportation, exhibition, and industrial infrastructure.

On the 18th, Mayor Min Gyeong-seon and President Heo Hee-young met at Korea Aerospace University to discuss plans to foster the aerospace industry, Urban Air Mobility, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as future growth engines for Goyang, and to translate these initiatives into corporate investment and creation of high-quality jobs.

The Goyang City has already announced plans to establish an “Aerospace Industry-Academia Convergence Center” at the Baekseok Business Building. This facility aims to integrate office space for companies with R&D and specialized training, while supporting technology-based startups and corporate growth in the UAM, aerospace, and drone sectors.

The core objective proposed by Mayor Min is the city's transformation into a self-sufficient urban center.
While the Goyang City possesses diverse assets--including a population exceeding one million, KINTEX, Korea Aerospace University, medical and research institutions, and a broad transportation network--the city recognizes the need to further expand its corporate and employment base to match its scale.

The vision is to build a virtuous industrial ecosystem that unites universities, research institutions, companies, and the local community; this system will cultivate local talent, attract businesses, and ultimately create local jobs. President Heo Hee-young emphasized that Korea Aerospace University possesses the expertise and research capabilities to cover the entire aerospace industry--ranging from aircraft and UAM airframe design (including structures, aerodynamics, propulsion, and flight control) to flight operations, traffic management, demonstration, certification, and commercialization.

He explained that the core of industry-academia cooperation lies in creating a structure where university research achievements lead to corporate technological innovation, and corporate demand for technology, in turn, drives university research and talent development.

From UAM Demonstration to Commercialization: A Vision for Goyang’s Future Aviation Industry. The Goyang City’s focus on aerospace and UAM as future industries is underpinned by the potential to leverage existing infrastructure.

The plan is to connect relevant infrastructure--such as Korea Aerospace University, KINTEX, and the Goyang Drone Anchor Center.

President Heo particularly emphasized that UAM is not an industry completed merely by developing airframes; rather, it is a convergence industry requiring the simultaneous operation of flight operations, traffic management, safety and certification, demonstration, and commercialization.

The vision is to establish a cooperative model for the future aviation industry--spanning from R&D to demonstration and commercialization--by combining Korea Aerospace University’s expertise with Goyang City’s urban infrastructure.

Another key pillar of this partnership is the Aerospace Industry-Academia Convergence Center, currently being developed in the Baekseok Business Building. Goyang City plans to cultivate this facility not merely as office space for companies, but as a hub for industry-academia-research collaboration that drives a cycle of talent cultivation, R&D, demonstration, startup creation and commercialization, and business attraction. The city’s published plans include provisions for corporate office space, R&D facilities, and specialized training centers, with the aim of conducting R&D planning, professional training, and technical consulting for companies. Korea Aerospace University also plans to expand the boundaries between the local community and the university by integrating aviation safety and security screening training with research activities, while offering aviation education to youth and citizens and supporting aerospace technology-based startups.

The goal is to create a system where top talent produced by the university works for companies based in Goyang rather than leaving for other regions, while companies leverage the university’s research capabilities and skilled workforce.

Integrating AI with Aerospace: Expanding into ‘Physical AI’:
The convergence of the aerospace industry and AI has also been identified as a key strategy. Future aviation sectors—such as autonomous flight, Urban Air Mobility (UAM), and drones—are closely linked to "Physical AI," where AI operates within actual aircraft and urban infrastructure.
The idea is that combining Korea Aerospace University’s research capabilities in aerospace, UAM, and drones with Goyang City’s industrial infrastructure could create a foundation for validating and commercializing AI technologies in real-world environments.

Meanwhile, Goyang City is actively seeking to host a "UN Global AI Hub." After officially announcing its bid at the National Assembly in August, the city launched a pan-citizen promotion committee in September and initiated a signature campaign involving 100,000 residents. The city highlights key competitive advantages such as KINTEX, the GTX-A line, accessibility to Incheon International Airport, and the Ilsan Techno Valley.

Ultimately, the core of the future envisioned by Goyang City and Korea Aerospace University revolves around companies, talent, and jobs. Mayor Min is committed to actively attracting businesses and expanding industrial infrastructure, based on the philosophy that corporate investment draws people to stay, and a resident population is essential to realizing a self-sufficient city.

President Heo also emphasized that the university should not remain confined to its campus but must directly connect with local industries. The idea is that while Goyang City establishes the corporate and industrial infrastructure, Korea Aerospace University (KAU) plays a pivotal role in the local industrial ecosystem by supplying specialized talent, technology, and R&D capabilities.

A key factor to watch in the project's future progress is how effectively the city’s infrastructure and capacity to attract businesses—combined with KAU’s aerospace expertise and R&D capabilities—translate into actual corporate investment and job creation.

Goyang’s vision of becoming an aerospace industrial hub is taking concrete shape as the goals of Mayor Min Gyeong-seon—creating a city where students can pursue their dreams even after graduation—align with President Heo Hee-young’s vision of a central hub where R&D, talent development, industry, demonstration, and commercialization all work in concert.