Ki-Moon Kim Says Policy Support Should Match SMEs' AI Transformation Levels

[Financial News] "The government and the private sector should join forces to design and provide policies that match the level of SMEs' artificial intelligence (AI) transformation, from the basic stage to the advanced stage."
 Ki-Moon Kim, chairman of the Korea Federation of SMEs (KBIZ), said this on the 1st at the 'Seminar on Strategic Economy and SMEs' AI Transformation' held at KBIZ in Yeouido, Seoul. He added, "Just as KBIZ has supported the building of win-win smart factories for large and small companies with Samsung Group and POSCO over the past nine years, we must connect the AI competitiveness of large companies to the broader industry and realize 'growth for all,' where SMEs grow together."
 The seminar, jointly hosted by KBIZ and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, was organized to explore strategies for SMEs in response to AI agent commerce and AI and robotics, among the strategic industries identified by the Strategic Economic Advisory Group, a private advisory body set up by the ministry.
 The event featured three lectures: the strategic economy and how SMEs should respond; global trends in AI agent commerce and SME responses; and the vision for Physical AI and AX strategies for small and medium-sized manufacturers.
 Park Young-sun, chair of the Strategic Economic Advisory Group, said, "In the era of a major AI transformation, we must run the economy, industry, science and technology, and security policies together as a strategic economy." She added, "SMEs must take part in preparing for a won-based stablecoin, the data-driven K Ontology Project, and the activation of AI Factory, which are all key parts of that process."
 Yong Jin Kim, a professor at Sogang University's business school, proposed building a cooperative regulatory sandbox model in which SMEs in each industry join forces to respond to the expansion of the AI agent commerce market. He also called for an infrastructure-centered policy package to support it.
 Huh Jang, second vice minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, said, "To create an inclusive and dynamic ecosystem where SMEs use AI in industrial settings, SMEs need to adapt and innovate in the fields of AI agents and Physical AI." He added, "We will support computing infrastructure such as graphics processing units (GPUs), the development of manufacturing foundation models, and the introduction of SME AI solutions tailored to regional characteristics so that SMEs can use AI to improve productivity."
 Chairman Kim said, "As the government works to become one of the world's top three AI powers through AI transformation, SMEs should also join in and create new growth opportunities."
[email protected] Kang Kyung-rae Reporter