The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) is prioritizing the allocation of over 4,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to industry, academia, and research institutions from the 13,000 units secured through this year’s supplementary budget. MSIT announced a public call for projects utilizing advanced GPUs, including H200 and B200, for industry, academia, and research via the online platform (AIinfrahub.kr) until January 28. This initiative aims to support AI research and development and foster innovative services.
The government secured a total of 13,000 GPUs with 1.46 trillion KRW from the first supplementary budget this year, which are being sequentially deployed in data centers of private cloud providers such as Naver Cloud, Kakao, and NHN Cloud. Among these, 10,000 GPUs are planned to be utilized as cloud services. The initially deployed 2,296 H200 units and 2,040 B200 units, totaling 4,336, will be preferentially allocated to meet urgent AI innovation demands from industry, academia, and research.
Projects will be selected through expert evaluation based on criteria such as technological and social ripple effects, contribution to the AI ecosystem, applicant capabilities, readiness, and feasibility, with preferential treatment for regional companies. Each project can receive support for up to 12 months, with H200 units ranging from 16 (2 servers) to 256 (32 servers) and B200 units from 16 (2 servers) to 128 (16 servers). Kim Kyung-man, Director General of AI Policy Bureau at MSIT, stated that this public offering will supply advanced GPU resources to industry, academia, and research, supporting innovative AI research and service development, and contributing to strengthening national AI competitiveness and fostering an innovation ecosystem.
Regarding usage fees, academic and research institutions will receive free access, while the industry (SMEs and startups) will bear approximately 5-10% of the market price, with an additional 50% discount for youth companies. MSIT plans to hold an on-site briefing session on January 9 at 1:30 PM in COEX Room 307 to explain the progress of the government’s GPU procurement project and details of the public call. Furthermore, a free pre-beta test for 512 B200 units (64 servers) is being offered, and the call for beta testers is also open on the online platform (AIinfrahub.kr) starting today.