Companies That Overcame the COVID-19 Wave Had a 'Digital Innovation DNA'

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been argued that manufacturing-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must actively pursue digital innovation to lead market changes.

According to the "New Marketing Weapon in the COVID-19 Era: Apply Digital to Products" report released by the Korea International Trade Association's Institute for International Trade and Commerce, SMEs expanding into overseas markets are utilizing digital innovation technologies such as Information Technology (IT), Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance product functionality, convenience, and usability. They are also quickly responding to consumer demand, turning crises into opportunities.

In the healthcare sector, companies are leading the digital medical device market by responding to market demand brought about by the pandemic and the paradigm shift toward personalized preventive treatment. Philosis exports portable diagnostic devices that can determine COVID-19 infection within 10 minutes and smartphone-compatible blood glucose meters worldwide. SuzenTech exports devices that analyze and diagnose five types of female hormones using biosensors and ultra-compact analysis systems globally, and received the "20 Million Dollar Export Tower" award at this year’s Trade Day ceremony.

In the home appliance sector, products utilizing various digital innovation technologies are being launched. Everybot’s cleaning robot autonomously creates spatial maps and driving routes using autonomous driving and IoT technology, navigating independently to areas requiring care. Everybot currently exports this cleaning robot to 27 countries and plans to expand its sales network to Europe in the future. Studio Cross Culture has developed a companion robot that responds to sound and behavior, providing emotional comfort to dementia patients and the elderly, as well as safety services such as monitoring subjects and contacting emergency services (119) in urgent situations.

Additionally, innovative products are making their presence felt in beauty, environment, and health fields, including the Smart Mirror (Lululab), a non-face-to-face skin analysis device based on image processing and AI technology; the Digital Mask Pack (August10), which applies wearable technology to mask packs to improve absorption rates by 20 times; the anti-snoring pillow (Metel) that analyzes body pressure and snoring to automatically adjust height; and the exercise system (Dirax) that recognizes user movements and interacts accordingly.

The report stated, "Successful companies in the COVID-19 era share the commonality of identifying and analyzing new consumer needs to provide the most suitable products and services," adding, "To succeed in digital innovation, it is necessary to prioritize technology with a focus on customers and services, be agile in innovation, and have openness, cooperation, and willingness to change."

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