The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) will invest approximately 1.4 trillion won in research and development (R&D) for physical AI in the Jeonbuk and Gyeongnam regions by 2030.
On September 16, MSIT held a kickoff meeting for the physical AI R&D project at the Novotel Ambassador in Seoul, focusing on manufacturing sites in Jeonbuk and Gyeongnam. About 200 attendees, including Lee Do-kyu, head of the MSIT's Information and Communication Policy Bureau, Park Yoon-kyu, head of the Korea Information and Communication Industry Promotion Agency, and lawmakers Jeong Dong-young and Choi Hyung-doo, participated in the event to discuss the project's direction and the five-year roadmap from 2026 to 2030.
Lee stated, "The physical AI concept verification project initiated last year served as a starting point. Through this, we confirmed the importance of physical AI and demonstrated its practical utility in industrial settings."
Park added, "We started in factories, but we hope to innovate beyond factories to hospitals, homes, warehouses, and other areas where physical AI can be applied for the first time globally."
MSIT plans to establish a comprehensive R&D system for physical AI by linking manufacturing data, AI models, digital twins, and robot and equipment control with on-site verification in Jeonbuk and Gyeongnam.
In Jeonbuk, the project will focus on developing and validating core physical AI technologies tailored for manufacturing and logistics through the 'Collaborative Intelligence Physical AI-based Software (SW) Platform R&D and Ecosystem Development' initiative. A total of 736.8 billion won will be invested over five years until 2030. MSIT aims to challenge the integration of the entire factory into a single system, known as 'factory orchestration,' beyond just collaboration among heterogeneous robots and equipment.
In Gyeongnam, the initiative will promote the 'Human-AI Collaborative LAM Development and Global Verification' project. This will involve developing precision control physical AI technologies that enable collaboration between humans and AI in manufacturing settings. A total of 676.3 billion won will be invested over five years from this year until 2030, focusing on securing high-quality manufacturing data and connecting physical AI technology development with process verification.
Lee emphasized, "The results of the technology development and on-site verification starting in Jeonbuk and Gyeongnam will spread to manufacturing sites nationwide and ultimately lead to a new industrial competitiveness that exports South Korea's 'K-manufacturing factories' to the global market."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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