Companies Stand Out for Innovating Manufacturing Processes and Production Systems with AI

[The 49th National Productivity Awards] Enhancing Industrial Competitiveness Through Productivity Innovation
Yoo Inseon, Chairman of ACE Engineering, Receives Gold Industrial Medal
Hwang Joyeon, CEO of Hope Airtech, Honored with Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit

This year, companies and business leaders who have made outstanding achievements in improving productivity for the development of Korea's industry and national economy gathered in one place. This was at the National Productivity Awards, hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and organized by the Korea Productivity Center. The event is held annually to encourage companies to systematize management according to international standards and drive innovation in a measurable way. Its purpose is to identify and reward outstanding companies that have contributed to making Korean businesses among the most competitive in the world through productivity improvements, and to promote these achievements in order to enhance industrial competitiveness. Notably, this year, companies and organizations that have driven innovation in manufacturing processes and production systems to realize artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled autonomous manufacturing and services were among the awardees, adding significance to the event. Companies that improved productivity through renewable energy and digital transformation for innovation in materials, components, equipment, semiconductors, digital, and energy systems were also recognized. The award-winning companies have continuously created high-quality jobs and invigorated the economy by advancing core industries and leading new technologies and industries.

On November 4, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Productivity Center held the 49th National Productivity Awards at the Grand Ballroom of KINTEX in Ilsan, attended by more than 500 representatives from award-winning companies and organizations and members of the industrial sector. The National Productivity Awards is the most prestigious productivity event in Korea, established to discover and honor outstanding companies and contributors in productivity improvement and to raise awareness about productivity innovation, the core driver of national competitiveness. The event has been held annually since 1975, marking its 49th edition this year.

Chairman Yoo Inseon, recipient of the Gold Industrial Medal, is taking a commemorative photo with Park Dongil, Director of Industrial Policy Office. Korea Productivity Center

At this event, Yoo Inseon, Chairman of ACE Engineering, received the Gold Industrial Medal, and Hwang Jo-yeon, CEO of Hope Airtech, received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, among a total of 23 individuals and 50 companies (organizations) honored. Yoo Inseon, Chairman of ACE Engineering and recipient of the Gold Industrial Medal, is regarded as a pioneer of Korea's container industry, leading the sector from various specialized container markets to the global stage. Having accumulated extensive experience in the steel industry, Chairman Yoo founded ACE Engineering in 1991 and achieved the localization of transport and specialized containers through the establishment of a one-stop manufacturing system that integrates all stages from design, production, inspection, certification, to quality management. To this end, ACE Engineering focused on standardizing designs, modularizing assembly processes, and automating manufacturing centered on its technology research center, thereby revolutionizing productivity and quality. Through technological development and a willingness to take on new business challenges, the company entered the specialized container market for applications ranging from aviation to military use. This is considered the foundation for Korea's container logistics industry to reach world-class standards. ACE Engineering has also contributed to improving the national trade balance and advancing the export industry, having consecutively received the Export Tower awards for 30 million dollars in 2021, 70 million dollars in 2023, and 100 million dollars in 2024.

Hwang Jo-yeon, CEO of Hope Airtech, was awarded the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit for her contributions to strengthening national defense by developing radar display devices and localizing weapon system display consoles, thereby achieving import substitution and revitalizing Korea's defense industry. Through independent investment, CEO Hwang succeeded in localizing coastal surveillance radar display devices for the first time in Korea, establishing Hope Airtech as a key small but strong company in the defense sector contributing to national security. Drawing on her extensive hands-on experience operating military radars and surveillance equipment, as well as her practical background in the defense industry, she has dedicated herself to developing domestic technologies in radar and weapon systems. She has led the development, mass production, and strategic deployment of various weapon system consoles, system cabinets, and display systems, developing core technologies across military surveillance systems. In particular, she has actively invested in advanced technologies such as AI development in radar, securing computing system design capabilities to strengthen ICT convergence technology competitiveness, and developing integrated anti-drone protection systems. As a result of these efforts, more than 1,000 units of the developed equipment are currently deployed and operational at the frontlines of Korea's eastern, western, and southern coasts. These achievements have led to improved military surveillance capabilities, expansion of the domestic defense market, and defense budget savings through import substitution. Over the past three years, the company's sales have grown at an average annual rate of 23.2%, and employment has increased by more than 50%.

Hwang Jo-yeon, recipient of the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, is taking a commemorative photo with Park Dong-il, Director of Industrial Policy Office. Korea Productivity Center

Song Hajung, Executive Director at Samsung Display and recipient of the Industrial Medal, is a display expert who secured national competitiveness and technological leadership by achieving the world's first mass production of 8.5-generation QD-OLED displays. QD-OLED displays are next-generation displays that combine the high color reproduction and wide light dispersion of quantum dots (QD) with the fast response time and contrast ratio of OLEDs. Song succeeded in mass production in November 2021, just one year and four months after equipment installation in July 2020, contributing to the development and market expansion of high-definition large displays. Furthermore, by November 2023, only two years after mass production began, the company achieved a TV product yield rate of over 95%, securing a differentiated manufacturing competitiveness.

Park Dongil, Director of Industrial Policy Office at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, who attended the National Productivity Awards, stated, "In the rapidly changing industrial environment, including the recent shift to AI and green transitions, the speed of productivity innovation is crucial. The government will actively communicate with our companies and support the acceleration of productivity innovation at industrial sites through AI convergence and the adoption of intelligent robots."

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