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Czech's Moravia-Silesia seeks Korean partners to transform into AI innovation hub

Published: 13 Oct. 2025, 15:58 Updated: 13 Oct. 2025, 19:41

SEO JI-EUN
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Moravia-Silesia Governor Josef Bělica speaks during a media roundtable hosted by the Czech Embassy in Seoul, in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Oct. 13. [SEO JI-EUN]

Czech Republic's Moravia-Silesia region, home to Hyundai Motor's only European plant, is reinventing itself as an AI and defense innovation hub as its governor courts new Korean partners during his visit to Seoul this week.

Speaking at a roundtable hosted by the Czech Embassy in Seoul, Moravia-Silesia Governor Josef Bělica emphasized that the north-eastern region — historically a heavy-industry base — is transforming into “a good place not only for business but also for life,” backed by its universities, infrastructure and skilled work force.

“We are looking to develop [new] nuclear energy [sources] in small modular reactors,” Bělica said, adding that the region’s a consortium led by VSB - Technical University of Ostrava recently secured 40 million euros in EU funding to establish an ‘AI Factory’ — a major European research hub for artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

The Moravian-Silesian Region already hosts a cluster of major Korean manufacturers, including Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Steel and Sungwoo Hitech.

He also stated that the region’s relatively higher unemployment rate is "not a weakness but an advantage," offering investors a wider labor pool and a re-skilled workforce supported by regional programs. According to Bělica, 98 percent of employees at the Hyundai plant in the region are Czechs, an unusually high share which he said underlines the skill of the local workforce.

"Our region is under transformation, and the unemployment level is a little bit higher than in other regions in the Czech Republic," he noted. "In terms of labor, people are more available in our region, and with our universities and high-quality high schools, we are able to offer really skilled workers."

The governor also underscored opportunities in defense cooperation, citing Moravia-Silesia’s homegrown firm CSG Group, one of Europe’s largest defense vehicle producers.

“I think [defense technologies] are very important not only for Korea but also for the Czech Republic and the whole European Union these days,” he said. “The defense company in the Moravian-Silesian region are very strong and have very good potential for cooperation for the future, [especially in] heavy trucks and AI technologies.”

Czech officials, including Moravia-Silesia Governor Josef Bělica, second from left, and Czech Ambassador to Korea Ivan Jančárek, third from left, speak during a media roundtable hosted by the Czech Embassy in Seoul on Oct. 13. [SEO JI-EUN]

Czech Ambassador to Korea Ivan Jančárek said the visit, which is the first by the governor of the Moravian-Silesian region, reflects his country’s growing interest in diversifying its strategic partnership with Seoul beyond nuclear cooperation.

“After the signing of the nuclear deal, we see a lot of potential not only in energy but rather in more diversified aspects,” the ambassador said.

During the two-day visit, Bělica’s delegation is visiting Ulsan, Moravia-Silesia’s sister city since 2014, and will hold B2B meetings and an investment seminar in Seoul on Tuesday.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]