'Drone and 3D Printer' Localization of Core Components for SMEs Promoted

Ministry of SMEs and Startups Announces Pilot Operation Targets on 18th
Revises Evaluation Criteria for Priority Review by Public Institutions

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 18th that it has finalized the pilot operation targets for the localization of core components among competitive products by small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and will publicly announce a total of eight products.

Minister Oh Young-joo of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The pilot operation targets include 3D printers, drones, LED indoor lighting, remote automatic meter reading systems, interactive whiteboards, video information display devices, pedestrian signal voice guidance assist devices, and video surveillance devices.

The government is implementing a competitive system among SMEs using the purchasing power of public institutions to secure stable sales channels for small and medium enterprises.

In addition, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will revise evaluation criteria to allow SMEs that replace core components with domestically produced parts to receive priority review from public institutions. When bidding for competitive products among SMEs, maximum additional points will be awarded during evaluation, and extra points will also be granted in the performance certification system for SME products eligible for negotiated contracts, encouraging active participation by SMEs.

Choi Won-young, Director of Global Growth Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, “We will strive to localize the core components used in competitive products supplied by SMEs to the public market so that more added value can be created in the public sector.”