The government, finance and industry discussed a plan for the 150 trillion won Public Growth Fund to invest in the "M.AX Alliance" project to convert the manufacturing, process and product institutional sector to artificial intelligence (AI).
The Financial Services Commission and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held a linkage roundtable for the Public Growth Fund and the M.AX Alliance on Dec. 4 at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul. The roundtable was attended by Financial Services Commission Chair Lee Eog-weon and Minister Kim Jung-kwan, as well as the head of Korea Development Bank and the four major banks (Woori, Hana, KB Kookmin and Shinhan). From industry, Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, Doosan Robotics, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and CJ Logistics attended.
The Financial Services Commission and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) decided to establish a cooperation system, including creating communication channels between corporations and financial institutions, to link the Public Growth Fund and the M.AX Alliance. The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) will identify quality investment projects, propose them to the Public Growth Fund, and discuss specific investment sizes and methods.
According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI), the M.AX Alliance project requires more than 10 trillion won in funding: 6.6 trillion won for humanoids, 1.5 trillion won for AI Semiconductor, and 1.3 trillion won for AI factories. M.AX is a portmanteau of manufacturing and AI transformation, meaning a strategy to apply AI across the manufacturing institutional sector. The project involves manufacturing companies such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor and Rainbow Robotics, AI specialists, academia and research institutes.
Hyundai Motor announced investment plans related to AI model development and robot production on the day. HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering said it will pursue an AI transition in shipbuilding and offshore, and Doosan Robotics unveiled investment plans related to humanoid development. CJ Logistics plans to introduce AI robots for intelligent logistics centers and logistics processes. Battery materials company EcoPro presented a cathode materials AI factory project, and Furiosa outlined plans to develop and mass-produce next-generation AI Semiconductor.
The Financial Services Commission plans to launch the Public Growth Fund within this year to invest more than 150 trillion won over five years in advanced strategic industries such as AI, semiconductors and bio. Of the total, 15 trillion won will be direct investment, 35 trillion won will be indirect investment such as blind funds and project funds, 50 trillion won will be ultra-low-interest loans, and 50 trillion won will be used for infrastructure investment and loan.