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The history of the Myeongji Noksan National Industrial Complex, a major supplier of parts for the industrial belt connecting the nation’s southeastern region, including Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam Province, dates back to 1989. The Myeongji Noksan National Industrial Complex, which was originally named Myeongji-Noksan National Industrial Base Development Zone, was completed in 2002 by reclaiming the sea around Gangseo-gu, Busan and Jinhae, Changwon, Gyeongnam Province. It covers a total area of 2,109,000 square kilometers and is divided into the Noksan District focused on production, and Myeongji District providing supporting functions. As it borders the planned sites of Busan New Port and Gadeokdo New Airport, the complex plays an important role not only as a production center but also as a logistics base.

The Myeongji Noksan National Industrial Complex focuses on producing parts for shipbuilding, machinery, automobiles, and other industries as these are the main industries of the nearby regions of Ulsan, Jinhae, and Geoje. In fact, machinery and electrical and electronics accounted for more than half of the complex’s total production or 58% in 2023. In the same year, the Myeongji Noksan National Industrial Complex's output was valued at KRW 13 trillion, driven by exports, which grew by 18% year-on-year and reached USD 4.8 billion. The complex is currently home to 1,517 companies, contributing to the revitalization of the local manufacturing economy.

In 2021, the Myeongji Noksan National Industrial Complex opened a new chapter. After its designation as a smart green industrial complex, the complex is seeking to go digital and carbon-free in building parts for ships and machinery. The innovation of the industrial complex, which began in earnest with the launch of the Smart Green Industrial Complex Project Team in 2022, is showing results in various forms. Especially noteworthy are the various support measures introduced by considering that the complex mostly houses small and medium-sized enterprises facing difficulties in building digital infrastructure on their own. Best example is the Smart Logistics Platform Project (Busan Smart Factory Joint Logistics Center), which entered its third year this year. Introduced to cut costs and upgrade logistics system by sharing logistics system, the project is implemented by a consortium of local machinery industry cooperatives, logistics companies, and system developers. Currently, the joint logistics center is in full operation with unmanned automation facilities such as automated guided vehicles (AGV) and AGV control systems (ACS), and is expected to function as a logistics platform for the root industry that comprehensively manage logistics, transportation, forwarding, and supply chain to fulfill the needs of tenant companies. When connected with the Shipbuilding Equipment Joint Delivery Platform Construction and Operation Project (Shipbuilding Equipment Joint Logistics Center) launched in 2023, the complex is expected to grow stronger as a logistics center going forward. In addition, the Integrated Control Center, which monitors safety information in real time by installing converged CCTVs, IOT-based sensors, and fire detection systems in the industrial complex, is scheduled to be fully operational this year and expected to further enhance the on-site safety management system.

Carbon-free projects aimed at building a clean industrial complex are also in full swing. For instance, the Smart Energy Platform Project is supporting tenant companies build a factory energy management system (FEMS), monitor energy usage, and receive energy efficiency consulting, and the Energy Self-Sufficient Infrastructure Project focuses on supporting the construction of solar facilities in tenant companies' roofs and idle spaces.

The introduction of advanced systems in the industrial complex highlighted the importance of human resources who can skillfully handle these systems. The Smart Manufacturing Manpower Training Project targeting local talents has been developing and providing specialized training courses to address this issue, leading to job creation and contributing to the production of future manpower for the industrial complex.

The transformation of the Myeongji Noksan National Industrial Complex is expected to be further diversified. By considering that the complex has suffered from aging and a lack of cultural and supporting facilities, its spacial structure is undergoing innovation under a renovation project and the master plan established last year. As the Noksan Innovation Support Center is scheduled for completion this year and the Beautiful Street Project is also scheduled for launch, the area is expected to serve as an innovation center within the industrial complex. The complex will be able to move away from its limited image as a mere place of work and transform into a place where young people come and start businesses.

Based on these changes, the Myeongji Noksan National Industrial Complex announced its vision last year to become 'an industrial complex specializing in parts and equipment that leads eco-friendly and digital manufacturing innovation in the southeast region'. Eyes are on how its future will unfold as the Myeongji Noksan National Industrial Complex continues to evolve.