Trend Digital infrastructure, energy transition and the Arctic route as new growth windows for the regions

Summary

Although the gap in AI and data capacity is feared to widen, the report sees digital, climate and ocean changes as opportunities for regions outside the capital. Super-regional digital infrastructure, the energy transition and the Northern Sea Route are expected to open new growth channels. Global industrial restructuring in semiconductors, batteries, hydrogen and the ocean economy is also pushing Korea to move from a single capital-centred pole to a multipolar super-regional industrial system. The new maritime economy and Arctic route combine ocean, diplomacy, climate and finance, so they require cooperation across ministries and stronger regional finance. The report therefore treats these shifts as the external backdrop for building new growth engines in the southern and coastal regions.