Announcement of 'AI Utilization and Expansion Plan through Fostering AI Startups'… 5 trillion won in support for AI, semiconductors, etc.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups has decided to increase the AI utilization rate of SMEs to 2027% by 50 and foster five global AI unicorns.
To this end, we will designate 100 manufacturing AI specialized companies and provide intensive support of up to 100 billion won per company in funding, manpower, and sales channel expansion, and strengthen support for AI startups, focusing 5 trillion won on innovative growth fields such as AI and semiconductors.
MSS announced the 'AI Utilization Expansion Plan through Fostering AI Startups' at the 20rd National Artificial Intelligence Committee chaired by Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok on the 3th.
Recently, major advanced countries such as the US, EU, and France have announced large-scale private investment in the AI field worth hundreds of trillions of won, and Chinese startup DeepSec is shocking the market by developing an AI model at the level of US big tech through SW and algorithm innovation.
MSS has also prepared measures to foster AI startups and expand the use of artificial intelligence in small and medium-sized enterprises to respond to these global changes.
Through this measure, MSS plans to focus on fostering AI startups that develop and provide AI services and solutions, thereby securing world-class competitiveness in terms of service and utilization.
It also presented a goal of increasing the AI utilization rate of small and medium-sized enterprises from 28% last year to 2027% by 50 and fostering five global AI unicorns.
First, MSS supports strengthening the capabilities of AI startups in each field.
We support the development of AI models through inter-company collaboration, foster startups that provide AI services in various fields such as manufacturing and finance, and create and expand new business models.
In addition, we will promote the establishment of a 'data creation LAB' capable of creating and synthesizing data, and designate 100 manufacturing AI specialized companies to provide intensive support in the form of loans and guarantees of up to 100 billion won per company, as well as human resources and expansion of sales channels.
MSS then supports the creation of a demand market for AI services developed by startups through open innovation.
To this end, we plan to utilize public-private cooperation innovation projects, etc. to have large corporations and startups collaborate to develop AI services specialized for solving specific industrial problems, and to spread the success stories of MOTIE's industry/sector-specific autonomous manufacturing leading projects through smart factory construction projects.
In addition, we support education and consulting to help small and medium-sized business executives and employees increase their awareness of the need for and understanding of AI utilization.
MSS also strengthens support for AI startups.
This year, 60% of the total new liquidity supply to SMEs, including loans and guarantees, or KRW 5 trillion, will be focused on innovative growth fields such as AI and semiconductors, and by 7000, a KRW 2027 trillion AI fund will be created and operated with government and private funds to significantly expand financial support for AI startups.
In addition, we plan to invest and supply more than 3301% of the new R&D budget for small and medium-sized enterprises (KRW 50 billion) in strategic technology fields such as AI, and focus on supporting challenging tasks in the AI field in high-risk, high-performance R&D projects that support up to KRW 100 billion by combining R&D funds and private investment.
In addition, we will introduce an AI specialized accelerator system to support joint research with overseas AI-related organizations (such as MIT) and to support overseas expansion.
Oh Young-joo, Minister of MSS, emphasized, “We have entered an era where AI technology is applied to everyday products such as TVs, washing machines, and watches. In this situation, MSS, startups, and small and medium-sized enterprises all need to have a sense of crisis and prepare for it.”
He also said, “We will use the shock provided by DeepSeek as an opportunity for a new leap forward, focus on specialized AI service fields where startups and small and medium-sized enterprises can excel, foster national AI startups, and strive to dominate AI technology and the market.”