The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST; Kim Woong-seo, president) announced the launch of the Coastal Big Data Platform service and hosting of the Coastal Big Data Platform Launch Day ceremony at the Busan Port International Exhibition and Convention Center (BPEX) on December 1, 2022.

KIOST was selected as an institution responsible for the construction and operation of a platform in the coastal sector under the 2022 Coastal Big Data Platform and Center Construction Project hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and National Information Society Agency (NIA) in June 2022.

The NIA’s Big Data Platform and Center Construction Project is a collaboration between the public and private sectors to produce and construct high-quality, usable data and contribute to the building of a foundation for the collection, analysis, and distribution of such data. Since 2019, construction of the Big Data Platform (www.bigdata-map.kr) has been carried out in a total of 16 fields,^* including the environment, transportation, and distribution, with five additional fields, including coastal areas and spatial convergence, having been selected in 2022 for which the project will be carried out over the next three years (2022 to 2024).

* Finance, environment, culture, transportation, healthcare, distribution/consumption, telecommunications, SMEs, regional economy, forestry, fire safety, smart security, marine and fisheries, agriculture and food, lifelog, and digital industry innovation

** Coastal areas, spatial convergence, smart farms, real estate, and infectious diseases

The Coastal Big Data Platform launched by KIOST is the first of the newly-selected fields to be completed, and the service will be launched on the platform website (www.bigdata-coast.kr) on December 1, 2022.

The ceremony will invite about 300 people, including representatives of related ministries and platform-operating organizations, and present the status of coastal big data platform and data construction, analysis results of coastal big data demand surveys for industry and academia, and plans for vitalizing big data platforms based on business models.

In addition, new opportunities for cooperation will be explored through the operation of promotional and consulting booths for the 10 institutions that manage each center of the project, including the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency, National Institute of Fisheries Science, and Inha University, to produce and sell customized data, develop new services, and offer technical support.

The Coastal Big Data Platform was initiated to gather all kinds of information needed for disaster preparedness and response in coastal areas. A total of 24 participating organizations (including KIOST), consisting of 16 private companies, three public institutions, one association, and three universities, are taking part in the project, representing one big data platform and 10 centers.

This year, 162 types of data will be disclosed, including data on climate change, coastal environment, coastal observation, coastal safety facilities, and coastal disasters, and innovative services for the public will be released, including “Cities at Risk ,^*” a service that allows users to experience coastal floods through 3D simulation, and “Sea Caring Day ,^**” a crowdsourcing service that connects institutions, groups, and individuals aspiring to protect the marine environment.

* Offers experience of sea level rise in a virtual city through 3D simulation to provide immersive educational content on climate change

** Aims to promote coastal pollution reduction activities and support ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management efforts of private companies

KIOST announced that, in response to the rapid changes of the coastal environment due to climate change, it will actively contribute to ensuring safety at sea by linking with and utilizing the Coastal Disaster Response System Construction Project being planned by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Dr. Kim Sung-dae of the KIOST Marine Big Data Center, who is in charge of the project, said “The Coastal Big Data Platform is another medium for establishing a cooperative network among the government, public institutions, industry, and academia. It will create opportunities for the development of new businesses utilizing data and innovative services and provide support for data-based startups.”

KIOST President Kim Woong-seo said, “The Coastal Big Data Platform Launch Day ceremony held today will lay the foundation for KIOST to lead the dataization of marine science.” He added, “We will focus our capabilities on achieving innovation and raising the institution’s competitiveness to the next level by leveraging the Coastal Big Data Platform.”

In addition, KIOST plans to open SNS-based promotional and education channels to raise public awareness more actively, thus encouraging the use of data and soliciting investment in coastal industries.