"Unveiling Ulsan U-City's Transformation Potential: Leveraging Cross Economy for a 'Little Singapore' Project"
As a newly appointed Global Innovation Advisor to Gyeongsangbuk-do (Gyeongbuk), I'm excited to lead the ambitious "Little Singapore" project, leveraging the concept of "Cross Economy" to unveil Ulsan U-City's immense transformation potential.
Ulleungdo and Dokdo, extending into the East Sea, make up just one-tenth of the size of Singapore, the island where I reside. Given Ulleungdo's abundant marine resources and valuable natural assets, it's possible to turn Ulleungdo into a "Little Singapore."
Recently, there has been growing attention to the concept of "Cross Economy" or "Cross Economics," a new economic paradigm that focuses on creating wealth from waste.
Despite having no local ties, my connection to Gyeongbuk was ignited by the initiative of Gyeongbuk-do, Ulleung-gun, and Handong Global University to drive the Global Green U-City project. This project aims to create customized job opportunities based on regional strategic industries, establish a talent development system through partnerships between Ulleung-gun, Handong Global University, and companies, and assist in the stable settlement of young people. A tripartite agreement has been signed, and with approximately 2,000 square meters of land secured from the county, a Global Green Research Center will be built, funded by the Population Decline Response Fund. This center will foster global green industry research and create conditions conducive to student and business residency.
About two to three years ago, I was introduced to Handong Global Problem Solvers (GPS) during an online conference presentation. I was impressed by the globalization efforts of university students, which aligned with NTU's Cross Economy concept.(Cho, N. J. (2022). Preparing for tomorrow with materials today. Materials Today, 61, 1-3., https://lnkd.in/gRHT7Wzr)
I had previously held an interest in the uncharted materials that might exist on Ulleungdo and Dokdo as a materials scientist, and the prospect of a university being established on Ulleungdo presented an excellent opportunity for collaborative research.
The critical question now is how to position Ulleungdo on the global map, a challenge that GPS can tackle. With the strong support from the Governor, it has become feasible for NTU to actively cooperate. I am eager to formulate a plan promptly and visit Handong Global University to discuss these exciting prospects.
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