TIPA Seeks Operators for K-Food and K-Beauty Manufacturing AX Alliances

Applications accepted through November 5.

The Artificial Intelligence Innovation Promotion Group at the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs announced on October 22 that it is seeking organizations to operate the “K-Food Smart Manufacturing Alliance” and the “K-Beauty Smart Manufacturing Alliance” to promote the AI transformation (AX) of the K-brand manufacturing industry.

The group plans to select one operating organization each for the K-Food and K-Beauty sectors and provide each organization with approximately 1 billion won in government funding. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on November 5.

The “K-Brand (Food and Beauty) Smart Manufacturing Alliance” aims to identify needs at manufacturing sites through cooperation among manufacturers, AI and data providers, and related organizations, thereby promoting AX across the industries and strengthening their global competitiveness.

The selected operating organizations will run an alliance steering committee and five working groups, and draw up AX projects based on needs at manufacturing sites, leveraging the expertise of the working group members. They will also strengthen links with related support programs through cooperation with other government ministries and promote the wider adoption of manufacturing innovation outcomes. In particular, they will link the alliance with follow-up support programs for smart factories, manufacturing AI, and autonomous factories to help spread manufacturing innovation outcomes across the consumer goods industry.

A view of the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs. Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs.

The “K-Food Smart Manufacturing Alliance” will identify AX and digital transformation (DX) projects in production, quality, hygiene, and logistics based on needs at food manufacturers’ sites. It plans to link supply chain data on production, quality, delivery, and shipping through cooperation between large and mid-sized companies and small and medium-sized enterprises, and establish a collaborative AX model that benefits all participants.

The “K-Beauty Smart Manufacturing Alliance” will promote AI- and data-driven innovation throughout the manufacturing process, from cosmetics product development to formulation, mass production, and quality control. It will assess manufacturers’ levels of process management, data use, and AI utilization, and support manufacturing innovation and stronger global competitiveness through the standardization of data on raw materials, formulations, processes, and packaging, as well as data integration based on the Asset Administration Shell (AAS).

A representative of the group said, “Through this call for operating organizations, we plan to build a manufacturing AX cooperation framework that reflects the characteristics of the K-Food and K-Beauty industries, and identify and promote practical AI use models centered on manufacturing sites.” The representative added, “We look forward to active interest and participation from capable organizations.”

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