Established in Changwon, Gyeongnam Province in 1974, the Changwon National Industrial Complex started out as the first planned industrial complex in South Korea. It grew mainly in the heavy and machinery industries, and later expanded into various industrial sectors such as automobiles, defense, and shipbuilding, establishing itself as the country’s manufacturing leader.

The Changwon National Industrial Complex is accelerating the introduction of smart factories and digital technologies to respond to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Since its designation as the nation's first smart leading industrial complex in 2019, the Changwon National Industrial Complex is implementing the Smart Green Industrial Complex Project to transform itself into a digital low-carbon industrial complex.

As part of the Standard Manufacturing Innovation Process Module Project (2019-2022), the Changwon National Industrial Complex aimed to innovate its AI-based manufacturing process, achieving a reduction in defect rate of up to 61%. Through the Smart Energy Platform Project (2020-2023), the complex optimized the energy use of its factories and achieved an annual energy saving of 2.5% (annual electricity bill savings of KRW 280 million). In particular, the Changwon Green Energy Center is building a new and renewable energy power plant, including hydrogen fuel cells and solar power, to make the complex energy independent. In addition, the complex has achieved remarkable results in various projects.

Currently, the DX Support Center is supporting the digital transformation of defense and machinery industries in the Changwon National Industrial Complex, and has reduced the manufacturing lead time of participating companies by an average of 38 days, with a maximum of 55 days. The complex contributed to reducing defect rates, improving process speed, and streamlining production through AI-based data analysis and quality prediction in another project aimed at developing and demonstrating large-scale AI manufacturing.

Meanwhile, since 2013, the complex worked on structural upgrades to upgrade aging facilities and add cultural, welfare, and convenience facilities through various public and private investments. To date, a total of fifteen projects in four areas have been implemented, with a total budget of KRW 1.33 trillion. Knowledge industry centers were introduced in newly-created industrial spaces, and educational and infrastructure facilities were added to promote the collaboration of industrial and academic partners and build data centers. Cultural facilities, residential buildings and dormitories were built to improve working and living conditions, and an energy theme park and a hydrogen liquefaction plant have been constructed to add eco-friendly energy infrastructure in the complex.

These efforts have borne fruit, with total production reaching KRW 62.2 trillion as of the end of 2024, a 3.6% increase from the same period the previous year. In 2024, the complex exported USD 19.4 billion and employed 120,289 people, maintaining an upward trend in production, exports, and employment. The boom in the defense industry, orders for LNG vessels, and continued orders for railway vehicles have led to a constant increase in production and exports, mainly of machinery and transportation equipment.

The Changwon National Industrial Complex is painting a bright future by combining high-tech and eco-friendly industries, rather than being satisfied as a traditional manufacturing hub. Having led the industrialization of South Korea, Changwon is now set to make a new leap forward as an industrial hub of the future.