Small Manufacturers, the Backbone of the Manufacturing Industry, Gather to Showcase Achievements

"2025 Small Manufacturers Achievement Conference" Held

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Enterprise and Market Service announced on December 17 that they held the "2025 Small Manufacturers Achievement Conference" at the Daejeon ICC. The event aimed to strengthen on-site communication and mutual cooperation with small manufacturers, who have served as the backbone of the manufacturing industry, and to share the outcomes of support initiatives.

Under the slogan "The Real Korea, Continued by the Hands of Small Manufacturers," this year’s achievement conference featured awards for distinguished contributors, an exhibition of outstanding products, and a cluster competition.

To recognize the hard work of small manufacturers, a total of 52 awards were presented: 37 commendations for contributors to the growth and development of small manufacturers, 12 awards for winners of the Small Manufacturers Skills Competition, and 3 awards for the Cluster Competition.

In the "Cluster Competition," designed to promote the digitalization of work processes and productivity improvements among small manufacturers, six clusters that passed the preliminary round in November out of 25 clusters participating in the 2025 Smart Manufacturing Support Program presented their project results and case studies. Following the evaluation, three clusters received the Grand Prize, the Excellence Award, and the Outstanding Award.

The event also featured an exhibition where visitors could view a wide range of outstanding products from small manufacturers at a glance. Exhibits included Atelier Darin’s jar necklace and roof-tile ring, selected for the National Museum of Korea’s K-Muse program; woodcrafts by Dong-eun, recognized as a Centennial Small Manufacturer and Master Craftsman of Korea; Remantech’s automatic battery fire extinguishing system, developed with support from the Small Manufacturers Specialized Support Center; and MamaTte’s eco-friendly carbonized cork furniture, produced with support from the Smart Workshop Program. In total, products from 63 outstanding small manufacturers were on display.

Lee Byungkwon, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, "This achievement conference is an opportunity to share the efforts and accomplishments of small manufacturers, exchange experiences, and explore new avenues for collaboration. The government will continue to be a strong partner on the ground, ensuring that the skills and passion handed down by small manufacturers will shape the future of Korea’s manufacturing industry."