Government Invests 754 Billion Won in AI Commercialization... 'AX-Sprint' Fully Launched

Up to 613.5 Billion Won to Be Invested in a Single Project in 2026
246 Projects Across Five Key Sectors Including Manufacturing, Agriculture, and Welfare

The government is launching a large-scale cross-ministerial support initiative to accelerate the transition to artificial intelligence across industries and daily life (AX). The plan is to foster an 'AX boom' that people can experience firsthand by selecting 246 AI-based application products capable of hitting the market in the short term and providing comprehensive support from development to mass production.

Im Gi-geun, Acting Vice Minister and Officer in Charge at the Ministry of Planning and Budget. Ministry of Planning and Budget. Yonhap News Agency

On March 18, 11 relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Planning and Budget, announced the 'AX-Sprint: Rapid Commercialization Support Project for AI Application Products' at a meeting of the Emergency Economic Ministers. Starting from March 19, each ministry will sequentially issue project announcements, with the selection process and agreement signings to be completed within the second quarter.

This project was established in response to the observation that, despite high interest in AI, the actual adoption rate in the industrial field remains low. The government plans to invest a total of 754 billion won over two years from 2026 to 2027 (614 billion won in grants and subsidies, and 140 billion won in loans).

In particular, 613.5 billion won allocated for 2026 represents the largest single-project investment in the entire AX budget for the year (2.4 trillion won). The initiative will be divided into two tracks: the 'Agile Track' (for rapid-launch, with 145 projects targeting release within one year) and the 'Build-up Track' (for advanced development, with 101 projects aiming for completion within two years).

The supported sectors are five key areas closely tied to people’s livelihoods: ▲ manufacturing ▲ agriculture, livestock, and fisheries ▲ land and transport ▲ health, welfare, and environment ▲ daily life, security, and defense. Major tasks include: the 'generation-bridging work assistance system' (Ministry of SMEs and Startups), which digitizes the expertise of skilled workers to provide real-time guidance to beginners; the 'road safety guardian robot' (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport), which detects hazardous situations during roadwork and controls signals accordingly; and the 'AI walking aid' (Ministry of Health and Welfare), which analyzes elderly gait patterns to prevent falls.

Instead of funding research and development (R&D), the government will provide tailored support for expenses in the final stages before commercialization, such as securing GPUs, making prototypes, establishing mass production systems, and obtaining certifications and intellectual property rights, according to company needs. Beyond simple financial assistance, follow-up support for market entry will also be strengthened. Outstanding products will be designated as 'innovative products' by the Public Procurement Service, granting benefits such as negotiated contracts and pilot purchases. Regulatory obstacles to market release will be removed through the regulatory sandbox system. For small and medium-sized enterprises, exclusive loans of up to 10 billion won and preferential interest rates will be provided.

Im Gi-geun, Acting Vice Minister and Officer in Charge at the Ministry of Planning and Budget, stated, "The government's pump-priming investment will accelerate the early commercialization of AI application products and expand opportunities for Korean companies to enter the global market," adding, "We will create an AX boom that transforms people’s lives both at work and in everyday life."

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