Ulsan Delegation Visits Birmingham During Birmingham Tech Week

Birmingham Tech Week kicked off with a warm welcome to a distinguished delegation from Ulsan, South Korea. This visit follows Birmingham’s trip to Ulsan in May 2024 as part of the DIATOMIC project, aimed at fostering innovation and collaboration both locally and globally. 

The delegation engaged with local tech leaders and explored the city’s vibrant tech ecosystem. A key highlight was the Circular Economy Workshop at STEAMHouse, featuring insights from Prof. Park from Ulsan College and Peter Laybourn, from International Synergies Limited. Prof. Park shared South Korea’s journey from an agricultural society to a sustainable industrial hub, emphasising Ulsan’s green transition and establishment of eco-industrial parks. Laybourn highlighted the importance of global net zero support and cross-sector collaboration, proposing a high-level industrial symbiosis blueprint for cities like Ulsan and Birmingham to address planning, investment, and sustainability challenges. 

The delegation also visited Tyseley Energy Park, showcasing Birmingham’s innovative hydrogen projects as a clean energy alternative for transport. Energy is potentially one of the common interest areas to pursue future collaboration between Birmingham and Ulsan. 

Additionally, Professor Manolya Kavakli -Thorne from Aston University hosted a successful workshop on the Birmingham and the Ulsan Digital Twins, featuring the three use cases by Aston University, Birmingham City University and the University of Birmingham as well as participation from Professor Jo from the University of Ulsan. The workshop explored new opportunities for collaboration between these digital twins within the DIATOMIC project, celebrating the exchange of knowledge and driving forward the future of digital technology. Digital technologies have been identified as another area of common interest by both cities. 

A significant moment of the visit was the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between Ulsan Technopark, Ulsan Creative Economy & Innovation Center and Tech West Midlands aimed at enhancing cooperation. These MoUs were signed during a meeting with the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, further solidifying the collaborative efforts between Birmingham and Ulsan. 

The delegation also participated in a panel discussion on cross-border business benefits, featuring insights from Director Rhee from Ulsan Technopark, representatives from TechWM, the UK Government, and Leipzig, one of Birmingham’s sister cities. This discussion highlighted the potential of the Innovation Twins Programme, which led to these reciprocal visits and joint projects, paving the way for further joint innovation activities and economic growth in both cities. 

Furthermore, the different institutions represented in the Ulsan delegation were exhibiting during the Global Day at Birmingham Tech Week, alongside other local institutions, like STEAMHouse, Connected Places Catapult, Tyseley Energy Park, the West Midlands Combined Authority and Birmingham-Solihull Growth Hub. This event showcased collaborative efforts in technology and sustainability, emphasising the importance of global partnerships in fostering smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth. The DIATOMIC panel discussion, held during the Global Day, further explored these themes, with key highlights including the Global Accelerator and city-to-city demonstrator projects with Ulsan. 

Throughout the week, the business partners of the Ulsan delegation also had bilateral meetings with Birmingham companies. These relations will further develop towards concrete international value chain projects for the benefit of both countries. This visit, a testament to the strong partnership fostered through the Innovation Twins and DIATOMIC projects, paves the way for innovative smart city solutions to emerge. The future looks bright for the continued collaboration between Birmingham and Ulsan, driving forward the energy transition and digital innovation. Looking ahead, an academic exchange between universities in Birmingham and Universities in Ulsan is planned for early 2025, complemented by a visit from a number of Birmingham companies to Ulsan.