No corporations applied to participate in the government project to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) computing center, which has a maximum budget of 2.5 trillion won, resulting in the first bidding being unsuccessful.
The Ministry of Science and ICT stated that no bidders applied for the national AI computing center establishment project, which closed on the 30th. Thus, in accordance with the National Contracts Act, a re-announcement (extended notice) will take place starting June 2, lasting over ten days. There will be no changes to the bidding requirements.
The national AI computing center is a government project aimed at securing "key infrastructure for the era of AI transformation." The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to establish a public-private partnership special purpose corporation (SPC) to advance the center's construction, with plans to begin services early this year and officially open the facility in 2027. The unsuccessful bidding will inevitably delay the timeline.
In the cloud industry, it is analyzed that the conditions set for establishing the AI computing center were unfavorable to corporations, leading to the unsuccessful bidding. The requirement for a public-private investment ratio of 51% public and 49% private, along with the application of damage compensation guidelines, has deterred participation.
In the re-announcement, if even one bidder (consortium) applies, the bidding will not be deemed unsuccessful. This differs from the first recruitment where a single application would result in an unsuccessful bid.