South Korean port city Busan has moved closer to its goal of becoming a shipping center with the completion of a maritime cluster Sept. 25.

A 610,000m² area in the city's Dongsam district was earmarked as a cluster for the domestic maritime and fisheries industry as part of the Busan Innovation City project.

Construction of the Dongsam-dong Innovation District began in 2012 and is expected to be fully completed by 2017.

Busan Port Authority announced that four organizations have moved into the zone, which is designated to be a research and education hub for the maritime and fisheries industry.

The Korea Marine Environment Research & Training Institute has moved in, while Busan Vessel Traffic System Center, and Korea Polar Research Institute have done likewise.

The Maritime Special Rescue Division, which was created last year as part of the Ministry of Public Safety and Security to support coast guard operations following the Sewol disaster, is the other organization that has moved into the site.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries targeted these organizations for the move based on their requirements and business functions. Eventually, the organizations were asked to vote as to whether they wanted the move.

The Busan Vessel Traffic System Center is built on a 1,670m² site, with a floor area of 2,258m², while the Maritime Special Rescue Division is housed in a six-storey building with a 3,200m² gross floor area, including training facilities for rescue divers.

The relocation of these institutions would place them in close proximity with Busan Port Authority, Busan Maritime High School, and National Maritime Museum.

Busan Regional Oceans and Fisheries Administration said, "Going forward, public institutions in the oceans and fisheries sphere can maximise synergies through strengthening the network of the tenant organisations."