[AI Revolution](177) Comfort Lab: "All-in-One Manufacturing AX Solution 'PORTA'... Aiming to Become the K-Palantir"

"I want to instill the belief among companies worldwide that all they need for digital transformation (DX) and artificial intelligence transformation (AX) is PORTA. My goal is for us to become the 'K-Palantir,' rivaling the American company Palantir in the near future."

During a recent interview at the Comfort Lab headquarters in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, Kim Kijung, CEO of Comfort Lab, shared his ambition, saying, "I want Comfort Lab to become a leading company in the AX solutions sector, on par with Palantir, the global AI platform leader."

Kim Kijung, CEO of Comfort Lab, is holding the CES Innovation Award plaque. Photo by Yoon Dongju

Kim built his career in system software and industrial digital systems research and development (R&D) at TmaxSoft, Doosan Enerbility, and SAP. In 2022, he co-founded Comfort Lab with his partners.

Comfort Lab provides 'PORTA,' an AI transformation solution for manufacturing sites. Korean manufacturers have faced challenges in DX and AX due to differences in equipment and communication protocols on the production floor. PORTA addresses these issues by aggregating data from factory equipment, sensors, and devices installed on-site. This consolidated data enables automation of manufacturing equipment. The company's technological prowess has been recognized, as evidenced by winning the CES Innovation Award in the Embedded Technology category for two consecutive years at CES, the world's largest consumer electronics and IT exhibition in the United States.

Even outdated equipment at manufacturing sites poses no problem. By connecting a device called 'PORTACON' to legacy equipment, data generated by the machines is standardized and integrated into a single system. All data from the manufacturing floor can be easily managed through the PORTA platform without the need to write programming code. Previously, developers had to integrate data from each piece of equipment and write customized commands for each machine.

Kim explained, "The reason small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for 99% of all companies, have not embraced AX is due to cost. We are providing the PORTA platform so that SMEs can also benefit from innovation through manufacturing AX."

He continued, "Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a growing demand for process automation through AX, and it has become widely recognized that tasks previously performed by several people can now be handled by just one or two. There is increasing interest in automating labor-intensive and skill-dependent tasks through AX." Currently, companies in various manufacturing sectors, including semiconductor components, construction materials, and food, have adopted the PORTA solution.

Kim emphasized, "The government is also promoting smart factories to support small and medium-sized manufacturing plants through AX, and demand for adoption through government support will be significant. We aim to become the company that opens the fastest path from digital transformation on the manufacturing floor to manufacturing AI and ultimately to AI factories."

Kim Kijung, CEO of Confortlab, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Yoon Dongju