The Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference 2026 (GICC 2026) opened for a three-day run at Conrad Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul, on Sept. 15 in the presence of senior infrastructure officials from foreign governments, key project owners, and representatives of international financial institutions.
GICC 2026, the 14th rendition, was held under the theme “Global Infrastructure Project Cooperation Opening with AI.”
It is hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and organized by the International Contractors Association of Korea (ICAK).
In a welcoming speech, MOLIT Minister Kim Yun-duk said, “The Infrastructure construction industry market is looking for partners exploring businesses, raising funds and sharing operation rather than companies faring in construction, and in this regard, Korea is a well-prepared partner you are looking for.”
“Korea will be a strong partner working together in all processes ranging from project planning to design, construction, long-term operation and maintenance based on experiences and advanced technology,” he said.
In his opening speech, ICAK Chairman Han Man-hee said, “Korean companies have so far participated in a variety of urban infrastructure projects ranging from planning to design, construction and operation in countries around the world, and we hope to maintain continuous cooperation and investment by connecting each country’s development plans and Korea’s technology experiences.”
Events on the first day of GICC 2026 included keynote speeches delivered by global construction and infrastructure experts, and high-level multilateral meetings.
Among events on the second day of the conference were AI and energy infrastructure seminars and the “Global Cooperation Forum.” On the third day of the conference, participants made a site observation tour.
Senior Executive Vice President Hwang Tae-hwan of the B2B Integrated Offering Center at Samsung Electronics said, “AI has been permeating daily life naturally, but a great portion of field inspection, judging and responding of the infrastructure field, such as bridges, roads and multi-purpose buildings depend on human experiences, and we have to stay away from the conventional infrastructure management depending on experiences, precedents and fragmented data.”
The Thai government dispatched the largest delegation to GICC 2026 among participating countries.
The Thai delegates included Siripong Angkasakulkiat, transportation ministry vice minister, Panya Chupanich, deputy transportation minister, and Kiti Ekwallop, and Vice President Kiti Ekwallop of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand.
Vice Minister Siripong had a meeting with officials with the Korea National Railway (KR) to discuss detailed ways of promoting cooperation in the railway industry sector of the two countries.
Both sides shared information on Korea’s high-speed railway system, Great Train eXpress (GTX), Bangkok’s metropolitan area Red Line, and other major projects of the two countries.
Thai side showed a keen interest in Korea’s own development and production of trains, locomotives and other diverse systems, and building an industrial foundation through technology accumulation and localization while introducing foreign railway technologies.
GICC 2026 also coincided with the first Korea-Central Asia Summit.
The latest conference had side events related to AI datacenters and the ongoing energy transition.
Companies, such as ENR, EY and global datacenter company Equinix participated in an AI seminar and shared AI’s impact on infrastructure design, construction and operation of datacenters.
A seminar on transportation cooperation was attended by KR, KORAIL, Korea Expressway Corp. and Incheon International Airport Corp.
The seminar introduced the multi-purpose development of station areas, AI-based expressway operations and maintenance, as well as airport investment and operation cases.
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