The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Intellectual Property Office announced on June 16 that they have begun jointly developing the "2026 Smart Manufacturing Strategic Technology Roadmap (2027-2029)."
The Smart Manufacturing Strategic Technology Roadmap is a specialized plan promoted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups in the field of smart manufacturing. This collaboration between the two agencies marks the first time they have worked together in this area, and it aims to establish an advanced system for discovering strategic technologies by combining manufacturing site demands with patent big data analysis, according to the ministry.
The joint roadmap is intended to successfully implement the AI-based Smart Manufacturing 3.0 strategy and enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises.
Following the AI-based Smart Manufacturing 3.0 strategy announced last year, the scope of analysis will be expanded from the existing seven strategic areas of smart manufacturing to include a special classification of smart manufacturing technology industries. This will allow for a more systematic and comprehensive identification of promising future technologies. The number of strategic items is set to increase from 49 last year to over 100 this year. The roadmap is expected to be unveiled in the first half of next year.
Kwon Soon-jae, Director of Regional Enterprise Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, "We will enhance the objectivity and expertise of strategic technology discovery through collaboration with the Intellectual Property Office and create a roadmap that can lead to actionable technology development (R&D) for small and medium-sized manufacturers." Kim Il-kyu, Director of the Intellectual Property Policy Bureau, added, "We will actively support the discovery of strategic technologies in the smart manufacturing sector and the establishment of national R&D policies through patent big data analysis that reflects the latest global technology trends."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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