From Design to Initial Mass Production: Ministry Launches All-in-One Support for Manufacturing Startups

Addressing Discontinuity in Design, Engineering, and Prototyping Processes
Integrated Management of All Stages by Specialized Institutions
Up to 50 Million Won in Support for 80 Startups

On January 7, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced the launch of the "Productization All-in-one Pack" program, a new initiative designed to support manufacturing startups by integrating all pre-productization stages into a single, unified system to address the structural challenges they face during the production process.

Manufacturing startups often outsource various stages of production-such as design, engineering, prototyping, and initial mass production-to multiple companies. This fragmented process can lead to information gaps between stages, resulting in specification changes, schedule delays, and increased costs. Such discontinuity in the production process has frequently been cited as the primary obstacle causing manufacturing errors and additional expenses, ultimately hindering startups from reaching final mass production.

To address these issues, the Ministry will introduce a new program this year in which a single specialized institution will oversee and support all pre-productization stages for manufacturing startups. By having one dedicated institution manage the entire complex productization process, the risks of information loss, workflow interruptions, redundant tasks, and unnecessary costs can be minimized, thereby reducing the likelihood of productization failures for startups.

The designated manufacturing institution will play a central role in this program by either directly assisting startups with their production processes or by matching them with suitable partners to manage and coordinate the entire workflow, ensuring continuity between each stage. Private companies capable of supporting the entire productization process-from product design to prototyping, trial molds, and initial mass production-are eligible to apply as specialized manufacturing institutions. The Ministry will evaluate applicants based on their manufacturing service capabilities, dedicated personnel, partner networks, and track record, ultimately selecting around six institutions.

After selecting the lead institutions, the Ministry plans to choose approximately 80 startups with innovative ideas and provide each with up to 50 million won in productization funding. Startups can select the specific stages they need support for-such as design, engineering, prototyping, or initial mass production-based on their development level and required services, allowing for customized assistance.

Cho Kyungwon, Director of Startup Policy at the Ministry, stated, "Through the Productization All-in-one Pack program, we will establish a seamless system from design to initial mass production, actively supporting startups to overcome early-stage product development failures and successfully complete their products."