20 Locations Selected for Digital Transformation 'Smart Sibeom Sangga', Including Sinchon Shopping District

Fostering as a Hub for Intensive Distribution of 4th Industrial Revolution Technologies and Innovation in Small Business Management Services

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Park Young-sun, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry) and the Small Enterprise and Market Service (Chairman Jo Bong-hwan, hereinafter referred to as SEMS) announced on the 14th that they have selected 20 locations, including Sinchon Shopping District, as smart pilot shopping districts to lead the transition to a non-face-to-face and digital economy. The pilot shopping districts will be developed as hubs for spreading smart stores by intensively distributing 4th industrial revolution technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the Internet of Things (IoT) to small business operators.

The selected smart pilot shopping districts include 5 complex-type and 15 general-type locations. The complex-type pilot shopping districts plan to support management and service innovation for small business operators by utilizing 4th industrial revolution technologies such as smart mirrors using VR and AR, and robots that assist with serving and cooking, tailored to the industry and business characteristics of small business operators. For the general-type pilot shopping districts, focused support will be provided for the introduction of smart order systems that enable reservations, on-site orders, and payments using mobile devices.

In the recruitment for smart pilot shopping districts, the complex-type pilot shopping districts showed a competition rate of 6.6 to 1, indicating high interest in adopting smart technologies among small business operators in the field. Due to COVID-19, the non-face-to-face and digitalization of consumption and distribution environments is rapidly progressing, and interest in smart technologies among small business operators is expected to grow further.

The Ministry has produced and distributed a booklet featuring companies possessing smart technologies in various fields such as VR, AR, artificial intelligence (AI), and IoT, to help small business operators adopt technologies suited to their industry and business characteristics. Related materials have also been posted on the SEMS website. Additionally, a smart store model shop will be established to exhibit products and technologies applicable to small business operators' workplaces and to demonstrate them on-site, allowing small business operators and prospective entrepreneurs to experience smart store-related technologies.

Kwon Dae-su, Director of Small Business Policy at the Ministry, stated, "We will strengthen support so that the transition to a non-face-to-face and digital economy can be an opportunity for small business operators to secure competitiveness, and we will ensure that the selected smart pilot shopping districts become hubs for the spread of smart technology adoption among small business operators."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.