AI·로봇이 곤충 키운다…강원 춘천 ‘곤충산업 거점단지’ 첫발

An unprecedented hub for the beekeeping industry has opened in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, aiming to cover all aspects of apiculture - from production to research, development, and market entry. The 'Gangwon-Cheonan Beekeeping Industry Complex' officially opened its doors on August 8th in Dongsan-eup, Jooyang-ri, Chuncheon City. This complex, selected in a 2023 government competition, covers 41,540 square meters of land with a built-up area of 4,154 square meters.

The complex includes smart breeding facilities, high-quality bee protein source processing plants, eco-friendly bio-material research and development facilities, and logistics support infrastructure. All processes, from bee production to processing, research, and distribution, are integrated within this industrial base. The Korean government emphasizes that the complex is designed with ICT-based automated breeding systems, allowing precise control of temperature, humidity, and other breeding environments to increase productivity and product quality.

The complex also plans to standardize processing methods for feed and livestock bees, producing high-quality bee protein powder and oil consistently. Its core competitive advantage lies in its "complete division of labor, innovative synergy model," where local farmers can focus on breeding superior bee species, while the complex handles the mass production and pre-processing of multiplied output.

The complex also stands out for its 100% operational control of five beekeeping patents, achieving complete technological independence.

A key feature of the complex is the use of AI and robotics in the pre-breeding phase for real-time reproductive control. The complex also incorporates the HACCP certification standard in all processes, providing a top-rated bio-source production system that can be immediately utilized by bio-food and pharmaceutical companies.