Ministry of SMEs and Startups and KB Financial Group Create 10 Billion Won Mutual Cooperation Fund... Support for AX and GX

Investing 3 Billion Won in the First Win-Win Cooperation Mother Fund

KB Financial Group will contribute a 10 billion won mutual cooperation fund to strengthen the digital, eco-friendly, and safety competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small business owners. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to use this fund for support programs such as AI Transformation (AX), Green Transformation (GX), and Safety Transformation (SX).

On June 5, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that KB Financial Group would contribute 10 billion won to the Large and Small Companies Win-Win Cooperation Fund to enhance the resilience of SMEs and small business owners and to promote inclusive finance. The donation ceremony, held at KB Financial Group’s headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, was attended by Minister Han Sung-sook, KB Financial Group Chairman Yang Jonghee, and Byun Tae-seop, Secretary General of the Foundation of Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership.

This fund will be allocated as follows: 2 billion won for AX support, 3 billion won for GX support, 2 billion won for SX support, and 3 billion won for investment in the Win-Win Cooperation Mother Fund. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and KB Financial Group plan to use the fund to boost SMEs’ competitiveness in digital, eco-friendly, and safety sectors, promote the spread of ESG management, and support the creation of value in local communities.

Notably, this is the first case of a joint cooperation project that supports not only partner companies of the contributing corporation but also SMEs and small business owners with no existing partnership, differing from the conventional approach. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Foundation of Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership will jointly implement related projects based on KB Financial Group’s contribution.

The AX program aims to enhance the digital competitiveness of regional manufacturing companies and small business owners. For manufacturing companies, AI-based digital solutions will be provided, and for small business owners, smart order systems and customer analytics marketing systems will be offered. The GX program targets supply chain SMEs, providing climate finance education and consulting based on the Korean Green Taxonomy (K-Taxonomy), thereby improving access to green finance.

The SX program supports companies with safety technologies and small-scale businesses. Companies with safety technologies will receive consulting to expand their sales channels, while small-scale businesses will be provided with AI CCTV and sensor-based safety detection systems, as well as industrial safety consulting, free of charge.

Additionally, KB Financial Group will invest 3 billion won in the first Win-Win Cooperation Mother Fund. This is the first time the mutual cooperation fund is being invested in a venture fund. The sub-fund will identify and invest in companies aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and any investment returns will be recycled into the mutual cooperation fund for reinvestment.

Minister Han Sung-sook commented, "Amid rapid changes in the industrial landscape, cooperation between large corporations, SMEs, and the financial sector is more important than ever," adding, "We hope KB Financial Group’s contribution will serve as a catalyst for spreading a culture of mutual cooperation in the financial sector."

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