Ministry of SMEs and Startups-Samsung Electronics, Kickoff of 'Large-Medium-Small Win-Win Smart Factory' on the 2nd

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Samsung Electronics, and the Korea Federation of SMEs announced that they held the ‘Win-Win Smart Factory Kickoff Event’ supported by Samsung Electronics on the 2nd.

The Win-Win Smart Factory Construction Support Project is a program by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups to assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in building smart factories in collaboration with large corporations and public institutions. Since starting with four large corporations in 2018, the project has continuously expanded, and this year plans to support about 1,000 companies in building smart factories in partnership with 33 large corporations and public institutions.

This kickoff event was held for SMEs receiving support for the Samsung Electronics Win-Win Smart Factory. About 300 participants, including representatives of companies recruited since April, attended the event, which featured presentations on the progress and achievements of the Win-Win Smart Factory, awards for outstanding companies, and case presentations. Afterwards, company representatives toured Samsung Electronics’ smart factories related to home appliances and molds, providing an opportunity to explore directions for building their own smart factories.

Among the award-winning companies, Ace Life, a bidet manufacturer, doubled its production capacity through the Win-Win Smart Factory construction involving large, medium, and small enterprises. As a result, its sales increased from 20.1 billion KRW in 2020 to 24.6 billion KRW last year. The workforce grew from 55 employees last year to 71 this year. Hamikyung, CEO of Ace Life, said, “We struggled with insufficient production capacity when order volumes increased, but with the help of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Samsung Electronics, we were able to resolve this. Now, we are very grateful to be able to export through Amazon.”

Cho Joohyun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, who attended the event, emphasized, “Smart factories have become an essential means for small manufacturing companies to prepare for the digital transformation era. This is confirmed by the achievements of companies that have built smart factories.” He added, “Since the Win-Win Smart Factory transfers manufacturing know-how from large corporations like Samsung Electronics, it receives strong support on the ground. Holding this event during the Together Festival makes it even more meaningful, and I hope this event will spread the warmth of win-win cooperation widely throughout society.”

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