earticle

영어

This study examines how the creation of a Busan-style technopolis can be the strategic and sustainable response towards the city's accelerating demographic crisis, where both drastic population decline and the rapid transition to a super-aged society are characteristic. As South Korea's first metropolitan area to reach a super-aged population, with almost one in four of its population aged 65 years and older, and fertility rates at historical lows, Busan is confronted with unprecedented challenges to its economic dynamism, labor force sustainable and long term social cohesion. Such demographic pressures not only constrain innovation capacity but it also raises the risks of urban stagnation and decline. Drawing on frameworks of global technopolis, comparative case studies and empirical demographic data, this research proposes a localized innovation ecosystem that incorporates advanced industries, digital and green infrastructure, and age inclusive planning into the development strategy of Busan. Thus, Busan can turn its demographic crisis into an opportunity for transformation, and will be a pioneering example for other ageing global cities.