- Incheon Institute
- Annual Report 2025
Think Different & Beyond, Be a Pioneer!!
A global think tank shaping the future
- Incheon Institute is a comprehensive research institute that was established to support the self-governance of Incheon. Since its establishment in 1996, it has served as a think tank of Incheon providing in-depth analysis and suggesting reasonable alternatives.
0 2. Major research tasks implemented in 2024
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Policy Development: Spearheaded the development of citizen-focused policies focusing on areas such as affordable housing, boosting birth-rates and other public welfare programs
▶ +Home dream (Thousand Won Housing): Supported housing policies for newlyweds to ensure they live without housing concern
Supported policies for offering public rental housing for newlyweds and loan interest subsidies for homeownership to families with newborns.
▶ -Sea Pass: Enabled all citizens to travel coastal routes at city bus fare rates (1,500 won)
Supporting island revitalization as part of the city's goal to become a leading marine city.
▶ +100 Million Dream: Childcare policy proposals to deal with low birth rates to address demographic shifts
Aiming to be a city ideal for having and raising children (achieved an 8.3% increase in births year-over-year, the highest growth rate nationwide)
▶ -Pass: Incheon-style public transportation cost support
Provided support to cover public transportation cost and promoted public transit use
Citizen-centric policy development: Creating policies that effectively address and meet citizens' needs and expectations
▶ Administrative system reorganization: Restructured into 2 counties and 9 districts
Enacted "Law on Establishment of Incheon Metropolitan City's Jemulpo-gu, Yeongjong-gu, and Geomdan-gu" (Effective July 2026)
▶ Offering half-price delivery for small business owners: proposed logistics policies for small local businesses
Facilitated the expansion of Incheon's joint logistics centers and established the basis for offering delivery cost support for small business owners
▶ Establishment of the Incheon High Court: Carried out a feasibility analysis for establishing the Incheon High Court
To enhance the quality of judicial services to effectively address the legal needs of Incheon citizens (The establishment bill was passed in November 2024)
▶ Changing administrative district names away from directional names: Carried out a current status assessment on how directional names are used and proposed reform plans
Transitioning away from directional names to better reflect regional characteristics, aligned with the 2026 administrative reorganization plan
▶ 2045 Carbon neutrality vision: Established Incheon's basic carbon neutrality plan
Awarded "UN SDG Innovation Award 2024," recognized for achieving goals 5 years ahead of global targets
Research tasks by research division: Carried out a total of 227 projects
▶ Urban Society Research Division
- (Population Change Response) Conducted research on the causes of ultra-low birth rates, considering regional characteristics, and proposed policy directions
- (Cultural City Image Enhancement) Proposed a vision and strategy to position Incheon as Korea's leading city in cultural tourism
- (Customized Policy Development for Incheon Citizens) Designed the Incheon Survey and analyzed global urban competitiveness to tailor policies for local needs
- (Foundation of a Peace, Security & Human Rights City) Continuously organized forums to promote Incheon as a city of peace
▶ Economic Environment Research Division
- (Industrial Complex Regeneration) Proposed policies to transform industrial complexes into innovative hubs aligned with Incheon's future development goals
- (Hydrogen Industry Ecosystem) Conducted research on building an ecosystem for hydrogen introduction, supply and utilization, tailored for Incheon's characteristics as part of the sustainable energy transition
- (Eco-friendly Culture Promotion) Developed citizen-centered, practical initiatives to address various environmental challenges
- (Strategic Industry Development) Established expert networks and formulated strategic industry promotion policies through the activities of the Industry Subcommittee of the Future Preparation Special Committee
- (International Cooperation and Exchanges) Played a pivotal role in fostering exchanges with China through the INCHINA Forum and expanded cooperation networks with East Asian city think tanks
▶ Transportation & Logistics Research Division
- (i-Sea Pass Implementation) Incorporated a policy proposal to enable coastal route travel at city bus fare rates (1,500 won)
- (Support for Transportation-Vulnerable Groups) Advocated policies to enhance mobility and convenience for disadvantaged populations
- (City Bus Operation Support) Analyzed city bus operation performance and proposed strategies for operational improvement
- (Mobility Enhancement) Provided policy justification for expanding toll-free access on Yeongjong and Incheon Bridges
- (Small Business Support) Supported the expansion of joint logistics centers and the implementation of a half-price delivery initiative for Incheon’s small businesses
▶ Urban Management Research Division
- (i+Home Dream Policy) Developed the i+Home Dream housing policy for newlyweds, now implemented in Incheon City, aimed at alleviating housing concerns for young couples
- (Original Downtown Renaissance) Presented future spatial strategies and policy directions for the Original Downtown Renaissance Project, focusing on one hub (Inner Port) and two axes (Incheon Boulevard, Gyeongin Railroad)
- (Future Urban Space Restructuring) Supported policies for urban spatial restructuring tailored to Incheon's future development needs
- (Response to Policy & Current Issues) Proposed policy directions to address current city administration challenges proactively
- (External Cooperation) Led the Future City Subcommittee of the Special Committee for Future Preparation to discuss urban transformation and development strategies, while enhancing collaboration through support for Incheon’s membership in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network
Academic events: Hosted a total of 74 academic events
▶ Domestic Events
- January
- Future Dialogue with Incheon Citizens
- February
- Expert Lecture Series on Urban and Social Trends
- February-March
- City information colloquium
[1st] 'Policy Directions and Tasks for Urban AI Implementation' 
[2nd] 'Researches based on Spatial Big Data'
- March
- ICReN assembly and Joint research presentation
- April-December
- Incheon Climate and Environment Forum (19th-22nd) - National and Incheon Metropolitan City's carbon neutrality and green growth basic plans, Carbon neutrality strategies for Incheon's ports and airports, National and Incheon's environmental education policies, Local government preparation for global carbon neutrality agenda
- April-September
- The 26th City Research Seminar - Cities in the Era of Educational Transformation
- · The 27th City Research Seminar - Urban Policies and Big Data
- May
- 2024 National Joint Seminar for Local Public Investment Management Centers - Present and Future of Local Public Investment Management Centers
- June
- 2024 Incheon Economic Diagnosis Seminar - Development of Incheon Regional Economic Judgment Index and Issue Identification
- July
- Incheon Institute–Incheon Housing and City Development Corporation-Korean Association Joint Seminar for Housing Policy Studies – How to Renovate Incheon's Aging Planned City
- 2024 Incheon Institute–Incheon Branch Office of Bank of Korea Regional Economy Seminar – Challenges for Incheon's Economy Caused by Demographic Changes
- Incheon Institute–Gangwon Institute Joint Seminar – Global Gangwon in the East Sea Region: Learning from Incheon Songdo
- August
- 2024 3rd Incheon Society for Economic Research Seminar – Rising Popularity of Livable Neighborhoods
- Incheon Metropolitan City Council-Incheon City Research Network Policy Communication Forum
- October
- Incheon Session at the 2024 Fall Conference of the Korean Society of ITS – Big Data Application Research for Advanced Transportation Policy
- November
- 2024 2nd Half Incheon Economic Trends Seminar - Examining Incheon SMEs' RE100 Status and Policy Directions
- Incheon Public Investment Management Center’s 5th Anniversary Seminar - Performance and Function Expansion of the Center
- December
- Final Report Meeting on Incheon Historical and Cultural Asset Valorization Project
▶ International Events
- June
- The 8th East Asia Gate City Policy Forum - Urban Cooperation for East Asian Development
- September
- The 8th INCHINA Forum International Conference - New Korea-China Cooperation for Partnership
- The 11th International Conference on Climate Finance and Industry - Overcoming Climate Crisis and Inclusive Coexistence
- 2024 Incheon Peace & Security Forum – Incheon Dialogue for Peace and Security on the Korean Peninsula
- The 17th Incheon Institute-University of Kitakyushu Joint Research Presentation - Foreign Worker and Cultural Tourism Policies in Incheon and Kitakyushu
- October
- The 4th International Forum on Low Carbon Cities - Strengthening Urban Resilience: Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Low-Carbon Cities
- Joint Seminar with Shandong Academy of Social Sciences - Cultural Tourism and Energy Transition Policies of Incheon and Shandong
- International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum 2024 Incheon - Enhancing Social Capacity for Urban Disaster Risk Reduction
- The 8th Megacity Think Tank Alliance Forum - URBANISM NEXT 5R
0 3. Major Research Plans for 2025
Focal Projects for 2025
▶ n-depth Study of Incheon Policy Roadmap 2040:
Strategic research focusing on aging society, soft economy, metropolitan transportation network, and new living zone policies
- Incheon as a Vital City: Developed responses to aging society
- Developed vision for Experience Economy of Global Future City of Incheon
- Making Incheon more accessible: Smart Metropolitan Transportation
- Urban vitality in era of population decline: Incheon's 5 Million+α Living Population Plan
▶ Global Urban Competitiveness Research:
Exploring development paths and strategies for Incheon's evolution as a global city
- Established concepts related to global cities and global urban competitiveness
- Reviewed Singapore's development model and global city strategy
- Analyzed Yokohama's core policies and global city strategies
- Established application strategies for Incheon's leap to global city status
Research Plan by Research Division
▶ Urban Society Research Division :
Policy development to enhance Incheon citizens' quality of life
keyword
- response to super-aged society
- global city
- digitally vulnerable groups
- Incheon Survey
- building village communities
▶ Economic Environment Research Division :
Pioneering policies to boost economic-industrial ecosystem vitality and eco-friendly urban transformation
keyword
- experience economy plan
- generation-specific job matching
- business attraction strategy
- hometown donation system
- air quality management
▶ Transportation & Logistics Research Division :
Sustainable transportation policy research for better citizen life
keyword
- smart metropolitan transportation
- Incheon-style parking policy
- bus system
- transfer facilities
- USM
▶ Urban Management Research Division :
Innovative urban space design for realizing global city Incheon
keyword
- Living population plan for Incheon
- urban planning-architecture system
- rental housing procurement management
- urban planning facility management
- floor area ratio for mixed-use residential buildings
Academic Event Schedule
▶ Domestic Event
▶ International Events
- 0 4. Periodical publications
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