'Smart Manufacturing' Added to National Technical Qualifications... New Certifications Such as Smart Factory Technician Established

Manufacturing Process Converging Information and Communication Technology, AI, etc.
1st Certification Scheduled for 2026 Implementation

The field of smart manufacturing will be added to the national technical qualifications.

Minister of SMEs and Startups Yeongju (ninth from the left) is taking a commemorative photo with participants at the 'Smart Manufacturing Specialized Company Development Meeting' held on the 20th at the Seoul Regional Headquarters of the Korea Technology Finance Corporation in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The government announced that the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the National Technical Qualifications Act, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, was reviewed and approved at the Cabinet meeting on the 27th.

This amendment adds the field of "smart manufacturing," a manufacturing process that integrates information and communication technology and artificial intelligence (AI), to the areas of national technical qualification testing. This is a measure to establish the legal basis for creating new national technical qualification categories in this field.

According to the amendment, the smart manufacturing field will be included as a testing area for national technical qualifications. The minister in charge of overseeing the testing in this field will be the Minister of SMEs and Startups. Additionally, the amendment includes provisions to delegate some of the Minister of SMEs and Startups' authority related to national technical qualifications to heads of metropolitan local governments.

The government is promoting the establishment of new national technical qualifications in the smart manufacturing field, such as "Smart Factory Industrial Engineer" and "Smart Factory Technician." These qualification categories will undergo preparations including setting examination standards, revising related laws, and confirming testing institutions, with the first examination scheduled to be held in 2026.

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