PAJU — The Gyeonggi Business and Science Promotion Agency is opening a direct line of communication with companies in Paju following the relocation of its headquarters there, in a push to revive the economy of northern Gyeonggi Province. The agency plans to channel problems raised on the ground into tailored support programs and policy initiatives.
The agency said on the 16th that it held a business roundtable on regional economic revitalization with the Paju Business Association and the Paju Chamber of Commerce and Industry at its Paju headquarters the previous day, discussing ways to support the growth of local companies.
The meeting, arranged after the agency moved its headquarters to Paju in May this year, drew about 15 participants, including Kim Gil-a, head of the agency's balanced development division, representatives of six organizations under the Paju Business Association and officials from the Paju Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
At the roundtable, the agency presented its core support programs and main functions and shared issues facing local industry. The business leaders in attendance cited rising operating costs driven by high inflation and high interest rates, along with difficulty securing sales channels, as their biggest challenges.
They also called for expanded support for in-house research and development, new programs tailored to field needs such as training on the use of artificial intelligence, and a regular channel through which they could continue to relay concerns from the ground.
In response, the agency proposed solutions available for immediate use, including ways to link up with its existing corporate support programs, assistance in developing sales channels and consulting on digital transformation. For issues requiring further review, it said it would pursue follow-up measures after consulting internal departments and partner agencies.
The agency said it would use the proposals gathered at the meeting to develop tailored support measures and institutional improvements that companies can feel directly, and to solidify a framework for continued cooperation with local business groups.
"The move of our headquarters to Paju gives us a chance to broaden our contact with local companies, and we will work to ensure that the difficulties they face on the ground bear fruit as substantive support policies," Kim said. "Based on what we hear from companies, we will strengthen tailored support and cooperation with partner agencies to raise the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in Paju and breathe life into the economy of northern Gyeonggi."