South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Ministry of Science and ICT will collaborate to disseminate physical AI technology to small manufacturers.
On the 7th of September 2026, the two ministries visited the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology – KAIST physical AI demonstration lab and conducted a corporate roundtable involving physical artificial intelligence technology suppliers as well as manufacturing-site demand corporations.
The ones who participated were Rainbow Robotics, Persona AI, Peblus, Impix, and Baekje Food, as well as New Hitech.
This event was planned to establish a cooperative system linking the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ – MSS smart manufacturing innovation support policy as well as the physical artificial intelligence technology development and demonstration capabilities of the Ministry of Science and ICT, connecting the development of technology to on-site application and wider adoption.
As a major cooperation project, both ministries plan to align the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Everyone’s AI Factory Manager with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups – MSS’s smart manufacturing innovation with an intent of Physical AI Technology to Small Manufacturers as well as midsize manufacturing corporations.
The Ministry of Science and ICT will promote the independent operation of logistics and production procedures centered around a physical AI full-stack solution obtained via demonstrations in North Jeolla and South Gyeongsang.
In 2026, it will start advising on individual logistics segments, including autonomous mobile robots – AMR and automated guided vehicles – AGV, and will progressively extend the services to full logistics and production processes.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups – MSS is going to encourage the construction of corresponding manufacturing environments and demonstrations for the application of physical artificial intelligence – AI technology in real-world manufacturing facilities. In particular, it will prepare a specialized support program that connects Everyone’s AI Factory Manager with smart factory construction and intends to promote superior demonstrating outcomes via the Manufacturing AI 24 platform to be developed in the future.
The two ministries also aim to ensure competitiveness over physical AI by way of encouraging joint research and development – R&D not just in manufacturing but also in novel areas of growth, including security, pharmaceuticals, and bio- and climate tech, as well as K-consumer goods.
They will also create a task force when it comes to small and midsize manufacturing corporations to determine on-site demand and facilitate the connection of technology-supplying corporations to the demand corporations in the physical AI partnership. The roundtable saw companies propose, among other things, the development of a cooperation platform for the merging of demand and supply companies and data infrastructure, the training of professionals, and the strengthening of support policies.
Small- and mid-size manufacturing companies need to adopt physical artificial intelligence technology swiftly because it is necessary to establish a proven leading model, said the first vice minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups – MSS, Noh Yong-seok.
Noh Yong-seok adds, “We will concentrate policy capabilities so that the outcomes of mega projects, including physical AI, can spread to small and midsize business sites.”
Ryu Je-myeong, who is the second vice minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, “It is important not to stop at excellent technology development but to build a virtuous cycle that connects it to manufacturing-site demand, leading to demonstrations and diffusion. We will pool the capabilities of relevant ministries, industry, academia, and research to actively support on-site application of domestic physical AI technology.”