Korea Federation of SMEs Holds the '2nd Future Innovation Committee for SMEs' Meeting

Han Byung-jun, Chairman of the Korea Information Industry Cooperative Association.

The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business (Kbiz) announced on the 9th that it held the "2nd Future Innovation Committee for Small and Medium Enterprises" at the Kbiz headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul.

The Future Innovation Committee was formed to enhance the external competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and to find continuous innovation measures through technological innovation and regulatory improvement.

Under the theme of "Exploring Innovation Measures for SMEs through the Introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology," the committee meeting was attended by about 10 people, including Chairman Han Byung-jun (Chairman of the Korea Information Industry Cooperative), Jeong Myeong-hwa (Chairman of the Korea Electronics Industry Cooperative), Jeong Chang-ho (Chairman of the Korea PLC Control Industry Cooperative), Moon Yun-ho (Chairman of the Korea Stationery Industry Cooperative), and other SME representatives from various industries and external experts.

Kim Dong-hwan, CEO of AI startup FortyTwoMaru, presented "Cases of Industrial AI Technology Utilization in Manufacturing Sites." FortyTwoMaru was recently selected as the No. 1 domestic AI company among the "Asia-Pacific 500 High-Growth Companies" for two consecutive years. CEO Kim said, "AI language models can gradually be integrated into SME manufacturing sites to improve productivity and efficiency." He introduced companies that dramatically increased work efficiency by applying language AI platforms, such as a shipbuilding company that automated the process of reflecting shipowners' requirements in designs, reducing the work period from 1-2 weeks to under 1 hour.

Following this, Professor Han Yong-hee of Soongsil University's Department of Venture and Small Business presented on "Current Status of AI Technology Utilization in SMEs and Suggestions for Its Expansion." He introduced a checklist for SMEs to consider when adopting AI and proposed directions for companies, institutions, and the government to promote AI technology adoption. Professor Han explained, "When SMEs with limited investment capacity consider adopting AI technology, they should check five factors: necessity, benefit-cost comparison, availability of alternatives, problem solvability, and data availability. For demand companies that decide to adopt the technology, technical know-how, securing personnel, and financial support are necessary."

Chairman Han stated, "The SME sector has a preconceived notion that AI technology is a highly advanced technology that is difficult to adopt immediately, but there is a need to actively consider AI technology adoption to solve problems such as labor shortages and low productivity. Demand companies should verify the availability of data necessary for AI technology adoption and analyze sufficient benefits before adopting the technology to innovate, and consulting support should be provided accordingly."

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