Having focused on developing regional anchor industries in Buan, Jangsu, Gochang, and Sunchang, JBNU will begin efforts this year to foster Namwon's lacquerware industry.

This is because the Namwon Lacquerware Industry Development Project, which JBNU is jointly advancing with Namwon City, has been selected for the 2012 Regional Anchor Industry Development Program supported by the government (hereafter "Namwon RIS Project"; Director: Professor Oh Seung-won).

Accordingly, as the lead institution JBNU will implement the Namwon RIS Project with project funding totaling KRW 3 billion, including KRW 1.8 billion in national government funding and KRW 600 million in local government funding over three years.

The project, a collaboration among industry, academia, research institutes, and government, will involve the Namwon Woodenware Business Cooperative, the Lacquer Culture Center, Mokun Woodcraft, the Institute for Agricultural Industry Strategy, and the Namwon Craftsmen Association, among others. JBNU will establish and operate a project group on campus.

Going forward, the project group will undertake networking, workforce development, product development, marketing, and business support activities to promote the Namwon lacquerware industry, in line with the objectives of the regional anchor industry development program.

In particular, this regional anchor industry development project is expected to significantly contribute to regional economic revitalization by creating local employment, increasing tax revenue, promoting place marketing using local tourism resources such as the Chunhyang Festival and the Jirisan Dulle-gil Trail, developing lacquerware tourism programs, and revitalizing lacquer culture.

Director Oh Seung-won (Professor, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) said, "The Namwon RIS Project is led by JBNU and involves Namwon City as well as lacquer-related research institutes and companies in the Namwon area." He added, "We will strive to promote the lacquer industry, an anchor industry of the Namwon region, and contribute to job creation and regional economic revitalization."