The Ministry of SMEs and Startups is advancing the enhancement of the smart manufacturing innovation ecosystem to strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises, which are the backbone of our economy.
On the 2nd, the Ministry held a discussion forum to announce the 'Smart Manufacturing Innovation Ecosystem Advancement Plan' at the Digital Transformation Hub of Gyeonggi Technopark in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. This event was held to concretize the 'Smart Manufacturing Innovation Ecosystem Advancement Plan' jointly announced by government ministries at the Economic Ministers' Meeting earlier that morning.
At the forum, Minister Oh Young-joo of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups met with leading smart manufacturing specialized companies to be fostered under this plan, as well as institutions supporting their growth and manufacturing innovation, to discuss ways to nurture the smart manufacturing industry and establish a world-class smart manufacturing innovation ecosystem.
At the event, representatives of smart manufacturing specialized companies expressed their expectations for the fostering plan and shared opinions on areas where government support is needed.
Han Aram, CEO of ABH, which produces AI-based surface quality inspection devices (automation equipment), said, "Technology development is essential not only for developing innovative products but also for pioneering overseas markets, and we hope that research and development budgets to secure higher levels of technological competitiveness will be secured."
Kang Won-hee, CEO of M2I Corporation, which holds the number one domestic market share in human-machine interfaces controlling process data display through communication, stated, "The key to the growth of smart manufacturing specialized companies is securing excellent developers who have extensive experience handling and understanding manufacturing data," adding, "We hope that this plan will lead to the establishment of a system for nurturing talented personnel from a long-term perspective."
Following this, attendees toured the Digital Transformation Hub of Gyeonggi Technopark, which opened in December 2023 to foster an industrial digital transformation ecosystem for small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises and provide comprehensive support for manufacturing innovation. They also experienced the comprehensive manufacturing innovation support facility, a leading support model to be expanded to regions lacking information and infrastructure for digital transformation.
Minister Oh emphasized, "According to Market and Markets, a market research company in the US and India, the smart manufacturing industry is a new growth industry expected to reach KRW 438 trillion by 2028, with an average annual growth rate of 22.0%. Through this plan, by balancing the smart factory dissemination policy and the fostering of the smart manufacturing industry, South Korea will become a global smart manufacturing hub and emerge as a nation leading the future manufacturing paradigm."
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