Governor Choo Mi-ae Meets Île-de-France Governor Valérie Pécresse to Discuss Cooperation
Governor Choo Mi-ae of Gyeonggi Province met with Valérie Pécresse, Governor of Île-de-France Region of France, at Dodamso on the 16th to discuss ways to expand exchanges and cooperation between the two regions.
This meeting took place on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of when Gyeonggi Province and Île-de-France Region established a friendly cooperation relationship in 2016. The two regions, each representing the capital areas of South Korea and France respectively, share common ground and cooperation potential in various fields.
Notably, at this meeting, the two sides signed a 'Joint Implementation Plan between Gyeonggi Province and Île-de-France Region' that outlines the direction of cooperation based on 10 years of exchanges. The implementation plan includes cooperation in the fields of economy, science and technology innovation, youth and education, sustainable development and transportation, tourism and culture, and international cooperation.
Governor Choo Mi-ae stated, "Gyeonggi Province and Île-de-France Region are the representative capital areas leading the nation's economy, industry, and science and technology, and with similar scales and conditions, I believe they are the optimal partners in that we can directly apply each other's policy experiences. Based on the trust we have built over the past 10 years, I hope the two regions will develop into an even stronger cooperative relationship. In particular, I hope we can create substantive cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence, startups, and mobility by connecting our respective strengths."
Governor Pécresse stated, "Gyeonggi Province and Île-de-France Region are innovation hubs representing Korea and France respectively. This joint implementation plan embodies both sides' determination to develop the strengths of the two regions into concrete cooperative projects, further strengthen strategic cooperation, and create new opportunities for businesses, researchers, and innovators."
Together, both sides discussed cooperation possibilities centered on fields where both regions have strengths, including artificial intelligence (AI), advanced industries, startups, and future mobility.
Gyeonggi Province has established an ecosystem of artificial intelligence, digital, and startups centered around Pangyo Techno Valley and is expanding its semiconductor industry ecosystem centered on Yongin and Pyeongtaek. Île-de-France Region is a representative research and innovation hub in Europe with approximately 40% of France's entire research and development concentrated there, and is densely packed with universities, research institutions, and global companies including Paris-Saclay, a science and technology innovation cluster.
Both sides agreed to expand corporate and research institution exchanges and support for corporate expansion through major innovation events, and to share experiences and policies in the future mobility sector, including public transportation, autonomous driving, hydrogen vehicles, and artificial intelligence-based traffic management.
Since establishing a friendly cooperation relationship in November 2016, Gyeonggi Province and Île-de-France Region have exchanged in various fields including startups and science and technology. In particular, they have continued cooperation linking the innovation ecosystems of both regions through Gyeonggi Province companies' participation in VivaTech (technology exhibition) and science and technology exchanges with Paris-Saclay.
Meanwhile, Governor Pécresse and her delegation visited Hwaseong Haenggung Palace and Gyeonggi Provincial Library on this day and experienced autonomous vehicles at the Anyang Smart City Integration Center, touring Gyeonggi Province's historical, cultural, and future industry sites. Île-de-France Region also donated 16 books introducing the region's history and cultural heritage to the Gyeonggi Provincial Library.