The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on 28 it will 추진 the “AI model development project based on manufacturing tacit knowledge.” The program will use 48 billion won in central government funding secured through a supplementary budget this year to help turn key shop-floor know-how into data and support AI model development based on it.
Tacit knowledge refers to work techniques, judgment standards and hands-on know-how that veteran workers develop through years on the job. It is difficult to document, but is considered a key competitive asset that affects productivity and quality.
The ministry said rapid aging in manufacturing is increasing retirements among skilled workers. It warned that if master craftsmen’s tacit knowledge is lost, it could weaken domestic manufacturing competitiveness and undermine the foundation for the manufacturing AI transformation known as M.AX.
Industry has also called for systematic efforts to turn tacit knowledge into data and support AI use, the ministry said, adding that concerns are especially high in sectors facing severe labor shortages in higher-risk or more technically demanding processes.
The project will support 30 tasks in selected industries and processes deemed urgent and likely to have broad impact. Funding will total 48 billion won — 1.6 billion won per task — and the project period will run for about nine months, from June through February next year.
Eligible applicants are consortia involving manufacturing companies and AI firms. The government plans to provide comprehensive support beyond research and development funding, including dataset construction, AI model development, consulting and equipment installation.
Work will include securing and refining unstructured data containing master craftsmen’s tacit knowledge, developing AI models using that data, and verifying datasets.
The ministry said companies and institutions with strong results will receive preferential treatment in a large-scale follow-up project planned for the future.
To broaden participation, the ministry and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology will hold regional briefings. After holding a briefing in the Seoul metropolitan area on the 23rd, they plan to run briefings from 28 through 29 in Yeongnam (Changwon), Honam (Gwangju) and the central region (Daejeon).
A ministry official called it “a project that is essential to protecting manufacturing competitiveness,” and said the ministry will “communicate closely with industry, research and labor to move quickly.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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