SME Introducing Samsung Smart Factory... Increased Productivity Earns Presidential Citation

Geonwoo Jeonggong Receives Presidential Citation at the 'Korea Small and Medium Business Conference' on the 25th

At Geonwoo Precision, a mold manufacturing company located in Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, Chairman Park Sun-hwang (left) and Im Seon-woo, a professional from Samsung Electronics Smart Factory Support Center (right), are inspecting CNC machining equipment.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have introduced smart factories have been recognized for their increased productivity and efficiency, winning consecutive awards at the 'Korea Small and Medium Businessperson Convention' for their contributions to SMEs.

On the 26th, Samsung Electronics announced that Park Soon-hwang, chairman of the mold company 'Geonwoo Jeonggong,' which received support for building a smart factory, was awarded the Presidential Citation at the 'Korea Small and Medium Businessperson Convention' for contributions to SMEs. Now in its 33rd year, this event encourages and awards SMEs that have contributed to national economic development and job creation.

Employees at Samsung Electronics responsible for supporting smart factory construction were also recognized for their efforts to strengthen SME competitiveness, receiving a total of five awards, including one Prime Minister's Citation and four Minister of SMEs and Startups Citations.

Chairman Park, an expert with over 50 years of experience in the mold industry, applied for Samsung Electronics' smart factory construction support project to acquire new technological know-how. Accordingly, Samsung Electronics' smart factory construction experts stayed on-site at Geonwoo Jeonggong for five weeks starting in March last year, working together with Geonwoo Jeonggong employees to drive manufacturing innovation.

First, to shorten delivery times?a core competitive edge in the mold industry?they reduced the delivery period from 40 days to 20 days through ▲design standardization ▲improvement of processing precision ▲and enhancement of manual processes. The mold for vehicle battery cases saw productivity triple after receiving Samsung Electronics' technology transfer. Samsung's proprietary cooling technology was also transferred, and trial injections were supported by Samsung Electronics' Precision Mold Development Center. Additionally, 35 on-site innovation tasks were identified and addressed to improve the working environment, including production lines, workflow, and material storage.

Last year, the diagnostic kit company 'Kogen Biotech' received an award. Located in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, 'Kogen Biotech' urgently received Samsung Electronics' smart factory construction support during the rapid overseas spread of COVID-19 in 2020, when demand for PCR diagnostic kits surged. As a result, weekly diagnostic kit productivity increased by more than 70%, dramatically boosting export volumes. Previously, in 2019 and 2020, SMEs that introduced smart factories and Samsung Electronics staff who supported them received awards, establishing smart factories as a representative model of 'co-prosperity and innovation.'

Samsung Electronics began its manufacturing environment improvement project for small and medium enterprises called the 'Smart Factory Construction Support Project' in 2015. Since 2018, in collaboration with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Federation of SMEs, the program has expanded to support all SMEs and mid-sized companies in need, regardless of whether they have business dealings with Samsung Electronics. From 2015 to 2021, Samsung Electronics supported the construction of smart factories at over 2,800 companies. In addition to improving productivity and supporting on-site innovation, it helps companies secure self-sustainability through ▲domestic and international market development, ▲professional workforce training, and ▲technical problem-solving support. Furthermore, even after support is completed, the 'Smart365 Center' operates to provide aftercare and help companies sustain growth.

Meanwhile, Chairman Park, who received the Presidential Citation this time, said, "In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, SMEs are told they must innovate, but I did not know what or how to change. Through Samsung Electronics, the 'innovation' that had been just a slogan was realized on the ground, and I found the path forward," expressing his thoughts.