- Three ministries sign MoU to promote the successful adoption and expansion of AX across Korea’s industries

- A united “One Team” effort to position Korea as one of the world’s top three AI powers by advancing industrial and manufacturing AX based on core AI technologies and infrastructure.

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bae Kyunghoon), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Minister Kim Jung-kwan), and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS, Minister Han Seongsook) announced that they will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on October 15 to promote the adoption of AI Transformation (AX)* across all industries. The signing ceremony will take place at the main conference hall of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science & Technology in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

*AX: short for “AI Transformation,” referring to the innovative application of AI to transform industrial processes and operations.

The rapid advancement of AI technology is reshaping industries worldwide, making AI adoption not a choice but a necessity. In sectors such as manufacturing, leveraging AI to create new value and strengthen both national and corporate competitiveness has become a top priority. However, despite Korea’s technological capabilities, the rate of AI adoption and utilization at the industrial site level remains relatively low, underscoring the need for a stronger government role.

Recognizing this, MSIT, MOTIE, and MSS—the three key ministries responsible for advancing industrial and manufacturing AX—have joined forces. By combining their expertise and coordinating their policies, they will establish a unified framework to accelerate the nationwide rollout of AX.

The MoU outlines cooperation in four main areas:

① Strengthening AX capabilities and internalizing core AI technologies across industries;

② Supporting AI commercialization for ventures, startups, SMEs, and microbusinesses through tailored industrial AX R&D;

③ Fostering regional AX ecosystems centered on key industrial clusters; and

④ Actively supporting the implementation of national AI policy initiatives.

The ministries will also promote technology exchange forums among experts from industry, academia, and research institutions to generate tangible, region-specific outcomes that deliver real benefits to citizens and businesses.

Through this agreement, the three ministries will build an end-to-end support framework for industrial AX—from securing core foundational technologies to industrial implementation and expansion among startups and SMEs. This integrated, cross-ministerial collaboration is expected to accelerate AX adoption across industries and lay the foundation for broad-based AI adoption regardless of company size or region.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyunghoon emphasized:

“The AI Transformation is more than a technological revolution— it is a national imperative that will define Korea’s competitiveness and future prosperity. We must combine our manufacturing DNA with AI to achieve world-class technological capabilities. MSIT, MOTIE, and MSS will act as a unified team to pursue coherent and consistent policies. MSIT, in particular, will accelerate efforts to strengthen and internalize foundational AI capabilities to drive the nationwide adoption of AX. This MoU will mark a key turning point in expanding AX across industries and opening new global markets in collaboration with AI startups.”

Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan stated:

“AI Transformation is the only solution to overcome the challenges facing Korea’s industries—including population decline, stagnant productivity, and technological catch-up by competitors such as China. To stay competitive in this fast-paced race, we must closely integrate AI, data, and manufacturing, leveraging our strengths to drive technological innovation and advance the manufacturing sector. To that end, MOTIE will work closely with relevant ministries and the National AI Strategy Committee to pursue a cohesive and action-oriented manufacturing AX policy.”

Minister of SMEs and Startups Han Seongsook added:

“In this new era of AI Transformation, where AI is fundamentally reshaping industries and business, SMEs and microbusinesses face an urgent need to adopt AI to survive. This joint MoU will allow them to leverage government infrastructure and large companies’ AI technologies and expertise, providing new growth opportunities for AI startups and helping SMEs and microbusinesses secure future competitiveness.”

Im Moon-young, Vice Chair of the National AI Strategy Committee, congratulated the signing and stated:

“AI is a transformative force that is reshaping the way industries operate. To position Korea among the world’s top three AI powers, it is crucial to integrate AI across key industrial domains. In line with this MoU, the Committee will establish a dedicated Manufacturing Task Force to drive AI-driven industrial transformation.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT. 

Please refer to the attached PDF.