Customized Support by Industry and Growth Stage in Urban Small Manufacturing Clusters
‘Manual Automation, Digital Transformation, Technical Training, Capacity Building, Collaborative Networking’ Tailored Support for 5 Key Tasks of Small Manufacturers
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 10th that it will open and start operating the ‘Seoul Solution Anchor’ at four locations?Gangdong Amsa (leather), Guro Gaebong (machinery and metal), Dobong Changdong (socks), and Seongbuk Jongam (clothing sewing)?to support urban small-scale manufacturers, who are the backbone of manufacturing and the regional economy, and to enhance manufacturing competitiveness.
Including Gangbuk Mia (clothing sewing), which will open on the 2nd of next month, five new locations will have opened this year alone, and together with the currently operating Geumcheon Siheung (clothing sewing) and Jongno Changsin (clothing sewing), a total of seven Seoul Solution Anchors will be fully operational. ‘Seoul Solution Anchor’ is a core hub space designed to provide customized solutions by industry type, region, and growth stage for urban small-scale manufacturers. It serves as a cluster hub for industries and focuses on supporting the five biggest challenges currently faced by urban small-scale manufacturers: ‘automation of manual work, digital transformation, technical education, capacity building, and collaborative networking.’
In particular, the ‘Seoul Solution Anchor’ supports advanced and automated equipment such as ‘automatic cutting machines,’ ‘pattern plotters,’ ‘CNC machines,’ and ‘3D measuring devices,’ which are difficult for small-scale manufacturers to purchase individually. This support helps them move away from traditional labor-intensive methods and adapt to rapidly changing technologies and trends, thereby strengthening their corporate capabilities.
The newly opened Solution Anchors specialize in supporting the leather fashion, machinery and metal, socks, and clothing sewing industries. The city plans to inject new vitality into the re-advancement of urban small-scale manufacturers through design development, prototype production support, startup assistance, and customized specialized education tailored to existing small-scale manufacturers.
Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Government also supports improvements to the harsh manufacturing environments, such as risks from fires and other disasters, dust, dark spaces, and poor workplaces. To revitalize urban small-scale manufacturers, which have been stagnated due to COVID-19, the city is promoting a ‘three-pronged support’ project focusing on ‘work environment improvement, worker health management, and corporate competitiveness enhancement.’ This project aims to safely transform small-scale industrial sites that struggle even to equip basic safety facilities and provide management expert consulting to improve workers’ health and corporate competitiveness, targeting up to 1,000 companies.
Hwang Bo-yeon, Director of Economic Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, “Strategic and systematic support is necessary for the full-scale re-advancement of manufacturing in the post-COVID era. We will operate the Solution Anchor as a close support hub for urban small-scale manufacturers, who are the backbone of the regional economy, and as a focal point that strengthens Seoul’s manufacturing competitiveness through customized support considering regional, industry, and growth stage characteristics.”
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