Ministry of SMEs and Startups Recruits Companies for "Smart Factory Supply Company Capability Diagnosis Support Project"

Operated in Separate Tracks: Integrated Capability Diagnosis and Manufacturing AI Development Capability Diagnosis

Essential Requirement for 'Specialized Smart Manufacturing Company' Application Ahead of Pilot Introduction in the Second Half of the Year

On April 22, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs announced that they are recruiting participating companies for the "2026 First Smart Factory Supply Companies Capability Diagnosis Support Project" until May 29.

Assessment Indicators for Capability Diagnosis Model of Smart Factory Suppliers. Ministry of SMEs and Startups

Since 2023, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups has been supporting the "Supply Company Capability Diagnosis Support Project" to help supply companies voluntarily strengthen their capabilities. The technological strength and field understanding of supply companies are key factors in determining the success of smart factory implementation projects.

Although the number of supply companies has increased, many remain small and lack advanced technology, limiting their ability to solve the problems of client companies. The number of registered supply companies rose from 1,728 in 2022 to 2,510 as of March this year.

This year, the capability diagnosis support will be operated in two tracks: "Integrated Capability Diagnosis" and "Manufacturing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development Capability Diagnosis." The Integrated Capability Diagnosis combines the basic evaluation in three areas—management, technology, and project management—with an in-depth technology assessment and provides a comprehensive capability enhancement plan in a single process. A total of 450 companies are scheduled to receive support.

The Manufacturing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development Capability Diagnosis is a separate track that evaluates the innovativeness and field applicability of a company's manufacturing AI solutions. This was used as a requirement for the document review at the "1st Manufacturing AI Solution Contest" held in December last year.

This year’s project has been improved to reduce the burden on companies and strengthen the discrimination power of the technology evaluation compared to last year. The previously separate basic and in-depth evaluations have been integrated into a single process to ease the burden on companies. An additional evaluation for manufacturing AI development capability has been introduced, allowing for a bonus of up to 100 points. The weight of the KTRS-FM evaluation used in previous technology and management capability assessments has been reduced, while the weight for the technology assessment has been increased, refining the evaluation indicators.

Companies that undergo the capability diagnosis will receive additional points for each diagnosis grade when applying for smart factory supply and expansion projects. Outstanding companies will also receive benefits such as registration as excellent suppliers within the project management system, eligibility to apply for designation as a specialized smart manufacturing technology company, and preferential loan rates for commercialization funds from Hana Bank.

This supply company capability diagnosis is linked to the upcoming "Smart Manufacturing Technology Specialized Company Designation System." The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to designate supply companies that meet legal requirements as specialized companies starting in the second half of this year. Supply companies that achieve an excellent grade of "Level 3-" or higher in the capability diagnosis will be eligible to apply for specialized company designation.

Kwon Soonjae, Director of Regional Enterprise Policy at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, "The success or failure of digital and AI transformation in manufacturing sites begins with the technical capabilities of verified supply companies. We plan to provide full policy support so that outstanding companies identified through the capability diagnosis can grow into specialized smart manufacturing companies, and we hope for active participation from supply companies."

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