At the Small and Medium Business Administration's AI startup roundtable held on the 1st, some said the government should work to strengthen open innovation between large corporations and startups based on value chains by sector such as manufacturing and bio.
That day, the ministry visited AI startup Wrtn Technologies in Seocho District, Seoul, to hear from startups. The roundtable was also the Small and Medium Business Administration's ninth on-site policy tour in the startup and venture field, arranged to reflect voices from the startup scene in policy.
Startup leaders and experts at the roundtable offered various opinions for the AI transformation (AX) of small and medium-sized enterprises and small merchants.
Wrtn Technologies CEO Lee Se-yeong said, "AI agents should spread not only to small and medium-sized enterprises, small merchants, and the general public, but also to people in the AI blind spots," adding, "Through this, AI should work alongside humans and raise productivity."
Another attendee said, "Rather than selecting many companies in the past and providing support, we should support the AI transition for about 50 to 100 corporations," adding, "After that, we should divide them by type—such as AX objectives and business direction—create success stories, and share them with domestic small and medium-sized enterprises."
They especially stressed that the ministry should be able to verify AI startups' AX technologies and play a role in expanding performance creation and sales channels.
Minister Han Seong-suk said, "AI is a key means to drive innovation in industrial structures and corporations and improve quality of life," adding, "At the center of that are AI startups that, based on ideas the world has never seen, create innovation and open new possibilities."
Han said, "Going forward, the ministry plans to actively support a variety of policy tools centered on open innovation with demand institutions in each field to foster innovative AI startups that will lead the AI transformation of key industries, corporations, and small merchants."