"Completing 1,500 Trillion Won in Mega-Investments Is Up to SMEs"... Korean Society for Small and Medium Enterprise Policy Holds Fall Conference

Discussions Focus on SME AI Transformation (AX), Shared Growth, and Industrial Ecosystem Restructuring

The Korean Society for Small and Medium Enterprise Policy said it held its 2026 Fall Conference on the theme “The Era of National Mega-Projects: Strategies for SME Participation and the Restructuring of the Ecosystem” on the 13th at the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Seoul, jointly with the federation.

The conference was organized to discuss strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises to participate as substantive players in newly forming supply chains and industrial ecosystems in the government’s three major mega-projects: semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, and Physical AI. Experts from academia, policy institutions, and industry took part in broad discussions on SME policies and current issues.

The conference was held in the following order: forum sessions, an opening ceremony, a main session, and a comprehensive discussion. The Win-Win Cooperation Forum, Policy Finance Forum, and Market Access and Procurement Forum were held simultaneously during the forum sessions. The Win-Win Cooperation Forum discussed open innovation and shared growth between large companies and SMEs, while the Policy Finance Forum examined challenges facing SMEs as they transition to a circular economy. The Market Access and Procurement Forum shared cases of SMEs expanding into overseas markets, the difficulties they face, and potential improvements.

At the opening ceremony, Kang Myungsoo, president of the Korean Society for Small and Medium Enterprise Policy, delivered opening remarks, followed by a welcoming address from Oh Kiwoong, standing vice chairman of the Korea Federation of SMEs, and congratulatory remarks from Park Youngsun, chair of the Strategic Economic Advisory Committee at the Ministry of Finance and Economy.

A photo of a discussion at last year's Fall Conference of the Korean Society for Small and Medium Enterprise Policy. Korean Society for Small and Medium Enterprise Policy

During the main session, Professor Kim Yongjin of Sogang University delivered a presentation titled “The Three Mega-Projects and the Role of SMEs.” He described semiconductors, Physical AI, and AI data centers as the three sides of a single triangle, in which a failure of one would destabilize the others. He emphasized that SMEs will be responsible for the “last mile” in completing mega-investments totaling 1,500 trillion won over 10 years.

Professor Kim also warned that SMEs risk becoming mere subcontractors to large companies and big tech firms. He then proposed a growth ladder progressing through “entry, shared growth, specialization, and global expansion,” as well as the AI transformation (AX) of SMEs, as innovation strategies.

At the comprehensive discussion, Professor Lee Byungheon of Kwangwoon University served as moderator. Participants included Park Yongsoon, policy chief at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups; Kim Heejung, head of the Economic Policy Division at the Korea Federation of SMEs; Kang Jungjae, a department head at Korea Development Bank; and Oh Jongwook, CEO of Wavebridge. They exchanged a wide range of views on ways to expand SME participation in national mega-projects and reshape industrial ecosystems.

A representative of the Korean Society for Small and Medium Enterprise Policy said, “This Fall Conference provided a meaningful forum for jointly exploring strategies and policy challenges to enable SMEs to participate as substantive players in new supply chains in the era of national mega-projects.” The representative added, “We will continue to expand academic research and policy discussions to advance policies for small and medium-sized enterprises and startups.”

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