Last week, we announced a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Busan City, the second largest city in Korea, to establish the Amazon-Busan Cloud Innovation and Technology Centre.

A few months ago, you heard about our region launch in Korea. This is another step forward in our cloud computing efforts between a Korean government and AWS.

AWS will work with Busan City and the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning (MSIP) to establish the Amazon-Busan Cloud Innovation and Technology Centre. This will be one of the Korean National Creative Economy and Innovation Centers (integrated facilities nationwide to enhance the creative economy), an initiative of President Park Geun-hye.

Amazon-Busan Cloud Innovation and Technology Centre will promote and showcase Busan-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers. In particular, we will help Busan use SaaS solutions and cloud technology to capitalize on Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) initiatives. This will support Busan’s commitment to continually improving the lives of their citizens. Together with Busan city and MSIP, we will collaborate on cloud technology programs that will help Busan realize the city’s long-term vision of becoming the nation’s most intelligent city through the use of cloud computing technology.

Additionally, AWS Cloud Training and Global Certification programs, as well as the AWS Activate program, which provides support to startup businesses, will be implemented to help grow and scale the city’s cloud-enabled economy, fostering a globally competitive workforce in Busan.

We look forward to working with Busan City and MSIP to help raise the bar on innovation, and realize its vision of developing a cloud-based ‘Intelligent City,’ boosting the city’s economy and job growth.

“Busan is a global logistics centre with prominent film, tourism, and ICT industries. The ICT industry, in particular, is a strategic priority for Busan. As a large port in South Korea with established infrastructure, Busan is considered one of the most attractive cities for technology investments. In collaborating with AWS, Busan strives to become a cloud-based high-technology ‘smart city,’ with job growth and economic vitalization,” Byung-Soo Suh, Mayor of Busan City, said.

Check out the photos below from the day of the announcement with Teresa Carlson, Vice President of Amazon Web Services, Worldwide Public Sector.