Poll of AKPA members on location of the International Science Business Belt (ISBB)
The Korean Government is planning a project
called the "International Science Business Belt" (ISBB).
This consists of a Basic Science Institute as well as a Rare
Isotope Accelerator facility. Hopefully it will generate science-related
business around the city where it will be located. The budget
for the project will be roughly 3.5 billion dollars.
There are five candidate regions competing to attract the project. They are as follows:
1) Kwangju area
It is safe from earthquakes and the local economy needs some help. It has the
Kwangju Institute of Science and Technology for scientific infrastructure.
2) Kyungbook area (Taegu, Pohang, Ulsan and Kyungju)
They will have the headquarters in the
Pohang-Kyunju area and branches at Taegu and Ulsan. Pohang
Light Source and Proton Accelerator at Kyungju provide synergy
with the Rare Isotope Accelerator.
3) Changyeung in Kyungnam
Industrial infrastructure with some research
institutes. It has advantages in developing businesses within the
belt. It has a airport nearby with Pusan as a backup city.
4) Sejong city, Choongchung area
Taejeon area with science institutes is nearby, and it
was included as part of President Lee's campaign promise.
5) Gwacheon city in Kyunggi Do
The Rare Isotope Accelerator can be put in the tunnel
under Kwanak Mountain to make it a background-less facility. SNU and other
universities as well as Seoul are nearby.
The final location is being debated in Korea (recent
news article on KBS).
Prof. Jewan Kim of Seoul National University would like to poll the
AKPA members regarding their preference for location for the ISBB.
Please submit your preference on the right-hand panel. Your poll preference
will be sent via email to AKPA.
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