92% of SMEs Satisfied with Win-Win Type Smart Factory Support

SME Central Association and Ministry of SMEs Collaborate with Samsung
Satisfaction Rises for 5 Consecutive Years

More than 90% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expressed satisfaction with the win-win type (Samsung) smart factory support.

Satisfaction and Reasons for the Win-Win Smart Factory Construction Support Project
[Photo by Korea Federation of SMEs]

The Korea Federation of SMEs announced on the 18th the results of a survey conducted on 209 companies participating in last year’s “Large and Small Win-Win Type (Samsung) Smart Factory Support Project,” which was promoted in collaboration with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Samsung (Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung SDI).

92.3% of SMEs were satisfied with the win-win type smart factory support project. Among them, 48.6% were “very satisfied” and 43.8% were “satisfied.”

Satisfaction has increased for five consecutive years. Satisfaction was 86.2% in 2018, rising gradually to 86.4% in 2019, 88.7% in 2020, and 91.1% in 2021.

The top reason for satisfaction with the support project was “customized system and automation establishment” (46.8%). This was followed by “manufacturing site innovation” (30.1%) and “close support from Samsung mentors” (19.9%).

The reasons for satisfaction with the smart factory solutions were also “high effectiveness when applied to production sites” (41.4%), “ease of monitoring production sites” (27.2%), and “improvement of workers’ working environment” (16.6%).

Additionally, 15.6% of companies participating in the win-win type smart factory support project reported an average sales increase of 3.19 billion KRW. 14.4% of participating companies saw an average increase of 8.8 employees. Contrary to concerns that smart factory implementation would reduce employment, only 4.8% of companies responded that their workforce had decreased.

96.2% of SMEs responded that smart factories are necessary to secure manufacturing competitiveness. In particular, 95.2% of SMEs answered that the win-win type smart factory support project, in which the government and large corporations cooperate to support SMEs in building smart factories, should be continuously expanded. The necessary policy supports identified were “expansion of local government subsidies” (57.9%), “increased support for basic levels” (24.7%), “inducing participation of large corporations and public institutions” (13.2%), and “expansion of ESG (environment, social, governance) support” (4.2%).

Yang Chan-hoe, Head of the Innovation Growth Division at the Korea Federation of SMEs, emphasized, “The win-win type Samsung smart factory support project has served as a representative exemplary support case with high satisfaction and performance among SMEs, acting as a stepping stone for strengthening manufacturing competitiveness and innovative growth of SMEs. Smart factories require phased and systematic support from the ‘basic’ to the ‘advanced’ levels. Especially, the basic level plays a role as a catalyst for manufacturing innovation, and since demand for basic level support is high in SME workplaces, continuous government support and attention are necessary.”

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