Gwangmyeong City to Host International Forum on Regional Circular Economy Ecosystem on the 13th
Gwangmyeong City (Mayor Park Seung-won) is raising the topic of regional community asset building to the international community.
The city announced on the 6th that it will hold the "2026 Gwangmyeong City Regional Community Asset Building International Forum" on the 13th at 1:30 PM at the Grand Ballroom of L7 Gwangmyeong by Lotte Hotel in Iljigjk-dong.
This international forum has been organized to share domestic and international trends and cases of regional community asset building and to explore policy directions that can establish a sustainable growth foundation for the regional economy.
Regional community asset building is a strategy to create a regional circular economy ecosystem where wealth created in the region is consumed, produced, and reinvested within the region, enabling citizens, small business owners, and local enterprises to grow sustainably together.
The forum will be attended by world-renowned scholars from the US, Scotland, and Japan, as well as representatives from domestic local governments including Anseong City in Gyeonggi Province, Jung-gu in Daejeon, and Yeongam County in Jeollanam-do and Gwangju, to share policy cases and experiences pursued in each country and region.
Mayor Park Seung-won of Gwangmyeong said, "If we connect and develop the assets and capabilities of the region well, sustainable growth can be achieved through regional strength," and added, "This forum will be an opportunity to confirm such possibilities and advance regional community asset building policies."
Part 1 of the forum will feature speaker presentations on the topic of "Domestic and International Trends and Implications for Sustainable Urban Economy."
Neil McInroy, international cooperation leader at The Democracy Collaborative (TDC) in the US, who established the theory of "Community Wealth Building (CWB)," will present on "Global Dissemination Trends and Implications of Community Wealth Building."
Chris Martin, CEO of social enterprises in Scotland, will present on "Regional Asset Building Strategy through Social Economy," and Samuta Hikaru, professor at Kanazawa University in Japan, will introduce "Development Direction of the Gwangmyeong Model as Seen through Cases of Regional Circular Economy and Endogenous Development."
Mayor Park Seung-won will directly introduce Gwangmyeong City's regional community asset building strategy under the theme "Gwangmyeong City: Opening Urban Economy for All."
The city will present specific strategies including fostering 300 socially-cooperative enterprises by 2028, expanding the proportion of local enterprises and socially-cooperative enterprises in public procurement, activating the local brand "Good Morning Gwangmyeong," and creating regional financial systems and hub spaces.
Part 2 will feature domestic case presentations and a panel discussion on the theme of "Urban Economy for All: Innovation Strategies and Implementation Tasks."
Anseong City Mayor Kim Bo-ra, Jung-gu District Chief Kim Je-seon of Daejeon, and Yeongam County Chief Woo Seung-hui of Jeollanam-do and Gwangju will introduce their respective regional cases and achievements.
Following this, a panel discussion will be held with Professor Kim Jong-geol from Hanyang University as moderator, involving speakers and presenters from both parts. The discussion will cover tasks for realizing regional community asset building at the local level, the role of local governments, and future development directions.
The event venue lobby will feature promotional booths introducing excellent products and services from Gwangmyeong City's socially-cooperative enterprises.
The forum is open to all without prior registration.