The government is set to activate the AI data center (AIDC) ecosystem by minimizing the permit processing procedures for AIDC construction projects and supporting related materials, components, and equipment companies.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said Friday that it unveiled measures to support the "AIDC" ecosystem, one of three mega-projects, at the second Regulatory Rationalization Committee meeting.
The core message is recognizing AIDCs as essential infrastructure guaranteeing national survival in the AI era and supporting the construction of the ecosystem. The government classified the ecosystem stakeholders into three categories: △AIDC construction operators, △AIDC materials, components, equipment, and solution companies, and △AIDC construction regions, detailing the challenges and solutions for each group.
First, to support AIDC construction operators, the government will push for the enactment of subordinate legislation under the "Special Act on the Promotion of the AI Data Center Industry (AIDC Special Act)," enacted in June.
Operators have expressed concerns that they must directly navigate numerous permit applications and processing procedures, including power grid impact assessments, building permits, landscape reviews, and traffic impact assessments, to build an AIDC, and that delays in these processes significantly increase costs.
In response, the Ministry of Science and ICT will establish subordinate legislation to introduce batch permit processing with minimized procedures such as pre-review and supplementary requirements, and set up a dedicated window to resolve operator inconveniences arising during the actual processing. △Additionally, regarding facility regulations for parking lots and charging stations, unmanned equipment (computer rooms, cooling and power facilities, etc.) will be excluded from building size calculation criteria, considering that AIDCs are special structures with few mobile or resident personnel relative to their floor area.
To support AIDC materials, components, equipment, and solution-related companies, the government plans to launch a new project worth approximately 200 billion won (government proposal) next year.
This follows requests from "AIDC Alliance" member companies for technological capabilities to operate AIDCs stably 24 hours a day, large-scale demonstration facilities, and commercial operation track records to advance the national strategic industrialization of AIDCs. The government plans to △promote domestic technology development for AIDC materials, components, equipment, and solutions, and △create large-scale AIDC clusters to build a foundation for domestic technologies to compete globally.
Furthermore, to support AIDC construction regions and residents, the government will designate an AIDC Special Zone in the first half of next year. Establishing an AIDC requires extensive land and infrastructure capable of supplying high power, making local community response and acceptance essential. Accordingly, operators building AIDCs in regional areas will be eligible for fee reductions by △including a "Regional Mutual Benefit Plan" as a mandatory requirement for the AIDC Special Zone. The government also plans to distribute a "Communication GuideLINE between AIDC Operators and Local Residents" in cooperation with local governments.
Ryu Je-myeong, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "We plan to push forward the legislative notice of the enforcement decree containing specific directions for promoting the AIDC industry and easing regulations by the end of this month," adding, "The Ministry of Science and ICT will faithfully perform its role in firmly supporting AIDCs, which are a core foundation for leaping into one of the top three AI powers."
in TECH
