"Only AI-Driven Manufacturing Will Survive"... Ministry Accelerates Manufacturing Transformation with 'M.AX'

1st M.AX Conference and Industrial Growth Forum Held
Full-Scale Manufacturing AI Transformation Begins... 1.1 Trillion Won Invested This Year
Productivity Gains in Semiconductor and Shipbuilding Sectors... 1,500 Companies and Institutions Participate

Yonhap News Agency

The government is launching an initiative to strengthen the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry through artificial intelligence (AI) transformation. As a survival strategy for manufacturing amid a declining working-age population and falling potential growth rates, the government has proposed the "Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX)" and plans to accelerate the spread of AI-driven manufacturing innovation.

On May 20, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is hosting the "1st M.AX Conference and Industrial Growth Forum" in Seoul with experts from the manufacturing and economic sectors. The event will be attended by representatives from manufacturing AI transformation-related companies such as LG Production Technology Institute and InterX, as well as academia including KAIST, UNIST, Sungkyunkwan University, and Myongji University, who will discuss the direction of AI transformation in manufacturing and related policy tasks.

The government views the AI transformation of manufacturing as no longer a choice but a necessity, given that AI is emerging as a "game changer" determining productivity and competitiveness on the manufacturing floor. Major competitors like the United States and China are also securing manufacturing AI competitiveness through large-scale investments and national-level development policies.

In response, the Ministry is launching the "M.AX Alliance," which brings together manufacturing companies, AI firms, academia, and research institutes to jointly promote the utilization of manufacturing data, process innovation, and the development of new AI-based products. Currently, about 1,500 companies and institutions are participating across 11 divisions.

Key initiatives include optimizing production processes using AI, demonstrating industrial robots and humanoids, and developing on-device AI semiconductors for applications such as autonomous vehicles. The Ministry plans to allocate a total of 1.1 trillion won this year alone to support related manufacturing AI transformation projects.

The Ministry reports that tangible results are already being seen in the field. One semiconductor equipment company participating in the AI Factory project reduced wafer losses by 30% by predicting and preventing wafer processing equipment errors in advance, while a shipbuilding equipment company shortened quality inspection times by 30% through AI-based vision inspection.

Financial support is also being expanded. The government is providing liquidity for manufacturing AI projects by utilizing the National Growth Fund and the Industrial Growth Fund. In February, it established the "Industrial Complex AX Division" to lay the groundwork for AI transformation at regional manufacturing sites.

At the forum, presentations and discussions will focus on the industrial competitiveness effects of manufacturing AI transformation, country-specific strategies, and technology tasks centered on manufacturing sites. Participants will highlight the need to supplement the technology of the AI Factory project, secure sovereignty over manufacturing AI technology, strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic full-stack ecosystem, and enhance the AI capabilities of the manufacturing workforce as key priorities.

Kim Seongyeol, Director General for Industrial Growth at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated, "M.AX, the AI transformation of the manufacturing industry, is a core variable that will determine the future competitiveness of Korea's industries in the era of intense global competition. We will deliver results that the industry can feel through AI transformation of manufacturing processes and the development of new AI-embedded products and services."

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