​1. Study Objectives and Methods

￮New industries, which are based on the convergence of ICT technologies and a wide array of sciences, warrant special attention with their potential for new growth sources, and the competition to take the lead on these new growth engines has intensified.

￮To keep abreast with this unfolding development while effectively coping with industrial and technological paradigm shifts at home and abroad, Jeollabuk-do must select new industries and formulate related strategies to nurture these industries systematically.

￮To this end, multi-angle analyses are needed to understand the core competencies of the region’s new industries and measure their competitiveness and prioritization.

￮We limited the study’s spatial scope to Jeollabuk-do and the areas related to the new industries of Jeollabuk-do and the temporal scope to 2023–2032.

￮In terms of research methods, we leveraged literature review, information search, case studies, and expert advice to ascertain the preparedness and competitiveness of Jeollabuk-do’s new industries.

2. Conclusion and Policy Suggestion

￮Based on the quantitative analysis of the competitiveness of new industries in Jeollabuk-do and key indicators that reflect the preparedness of Jeollabuk-do to promote them and their various aspects, we prioritized new industries to provide basic data by which development strategies for new industries can be devised from short- and long-term perspectives. 

￮Jeollabuk-do is the hub of the Pan Yellow Sea Economic Bloc and the New Southern Region. Moreover, as a major transportation point, the region is easily accessible. Therefore, this indicates that Jeollabuk-do provides optimal conditions for expanding the network of new industries. In addition, the region possesses high-level innovation resources such as universities and research institutes for R&D and the application and demonstration of new technologies.

￮Jeollabuk-do is competitive in the following new industries when analyzed from three different categories: 1) specialization (eco-friendly power generation, new renewable energy, energy efficiency improvement, eco-friendly consumer goods, and robots); 2) scale (robots, next-generation electronic materials, advanced imaging diagnosis, advanced surgery, and next-generation semiconductors); and 3) growth (eco-friendly power generation, energy efficiency improvement, new renewable energy, advanced imaging diagnosis, and advanced surgery).

￮In particular, the region's new industries of robots, eco-friendly power generation, energy efficiency improvement, advanced imaging diagnosis, and advanced surgery are competitive in more than two categories. Regarding robots, eco-friendly consumer goods, active lighting, and biomaterials, Jeollabuk-do is competitive in all three categories when compared to other regions. 

￮Based on key indicators and expert AHP research, we prioritized the new industries of Jeollabuk-do as follows: smart farm, eco-friendly consumer goods, biomaterials, next-generation electronic materials, multifunctional materials, convergence materials, new renewable energy, next-generation diagnosis, energy efficiency improvement, next-generation treatment, eco-friendly power generation, and creation/performance/exhibition.

￮Given the above prioritization, Jeollabuk-do is advised to formulate long-term strategies for new industries and nurture them in a systematic manner. Furthermore, various aspects of new industries should be considered when devising policies and presenting short- and long-term visions for each industrial technology and when formulating effective new technology development strategies.

￮In conclusion, Jeollabuk-do can leverage the analytical results of this study to improve the efficiency of R&D investment and increase industry–university collaborations, thus effectively coping with changes in technological and industrial environments. This will lead to Jeollabuk-do enhancing its industrial competitiveness and successfully implementing its new industry-related policies.​