In 2028, Busan will host the World Congress on Computational Mechanics (WCCM), a major international academic conference that will bring together over 3,000 experts in computational mechanics from around the world. WCCM is a biennial conference organized by the International Association for Computational Mechanics. It serves as a platform for sharing the latest research and innovations in computational solid mechanics and computational fluid dynamics through discussions and lectures. WCCM 2028 will take place at Busan’s BEXCO from July 16 to July 21, 2028. The six-day event is expected to attract more than 3,000 attendees from around the world.

Busan’s Efforts to Land WCCM 2028

Last year, following the joint marketing efforts of the Busan Tourism Organization and BEXCO, and after internal discussions within the Korean Society for Computational Mechanics, Busan was selected as a candidate city to host WCCM 2028. Since then, the WCCM 2028 Bid Committee, composed of prominent experts in the field, worked diligently both in Korea and abroad to bring the event to Busan. Their efforts finally bore fruit. This March, during the on-site inspection, Busan showcased its excellent infrastructure and growth potential. As a result, in July, Busan was selected as the final host city for WCCM 2028, beating out other candidate cities such as Shanghai and Singapore.

A MICE City Ready for the WCCM

Behind Busan’s successful bid to host WCCM 2028 was the administrative and financial support from the city government and the Busan Tourism Organization. In January, Busan emphasized its commitment to future digital technology by designating "digital tech" as one of its nine strategic industries, leveraging the city's unique regional characteristics. This highlighted the city’s deep understanding of the importance of computational mechanics. In alignment with Busan’s strategic industries, such as AI and smart cities, the city spared no effort in supporting its bid for WCCM 2028, laying the foundation for its success.

The successful bid for WCCM 2028 is particularly meaningful as it was achieved through the combined efforts of both the public and private sectors. The event is expected to generate an economic impact of KRW 13.8 billion and create over 100 jobs. In addition, the international technological exchanges that will take place during the congress are expected to play a major role in advancing the field of computational mechanics in Korea. The latest WCCM research and technologies have the potential to contribute to ship and aircraft designs, quantum computing, urban infrastructure optimization, and disaster prediction and response. These innovations are likely to positively influence the development of a diverse range of industries, including Busan’s strategic industries.

On to the Next Stage for WCCM 2028!

Busan was officially designated as the host city for 2028 at WCCM 2024, which was held in Vancouver, Canada. The Busan Tourism Organization will attend WCCM 2026 in Munich, Germany to further promote Busan as a premier MICE destination. Having passed the bid stage, Busan has entered the next phrase of preparations to successfully host the WCCM in 2028. There is already growing anticipation for the computational mechanics festival that will blossom in Busan in four short years.