Lee So-young, the Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups, announced plans to actively promote 'manufacturing AI innovation' in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) transformation.
During the opening ceremony of the 'Smart Biz Expo 2026' held at COEX in Seoul on October 13, she stated, "The biggest challenge facing our economy right now is polarization. To bridge the gap between large and small businesses and ensure that the warmth of growth reaches the field, we must share the capital and manufacturing innovation know-how of large companies with small businesses and enhance our competitiveness together."
Previously, in her inaugural speech on September 28, Minister Lee identified polarization as the most significant challenge for the South Korean economy and expressed her commitment to supporting small businesses to ensure they do not fall behind in the AI transition.
On this day, she emphasized, "In the era of AI transformation, smart factories must evolve beyond production automation to manufacturing AI innovation, where AI assists in on-site decision-making and fundamentally enhances manufacturing competitiveness."
Minister Lee visited booths at the event to closely examine the achievements and products of small businesses transformed by the introduction of smart factories, encouraging local entrepreneurs.
She later visited Diphamstech, a small manufacturing company in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, to observe the application of AI technology in actual production processes and listen to the concerns of company representatives.
Diphamstech is an export company that produces automotive parts, semiconductor sockets, and camera components based on ultra-precision mold manufacturing technology. The company improved its processes by having AI, trained to capture optical components the size of a fingernail at a rate of 20 to 40 per second, handle product sorting, thereby increasing equipment utilization rates.
During her visit, challenges such as securing specialized personnel during the smart factory implementation process and the need for phased support based on the technological level of companies were raised.
Minister Lee stated, "We will strengthen our phased support policies that range from digital transformation to the introduction of physical AI and cultivate core personnel in manufacturing AI. We will establish support policies to ensure that the outcomes of national strategic projects, such as physical AI, reach small businesses, allowing them to become key players in the economy."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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