The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 10th it held a launch ceremony for the "K-food smart manufacturing alliance" at Coex in Seoul with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety.
The alliance is a public-private cooperation platform joined by food manufacturing corporations, smart manufacturing technology corporations, and specialized institutions, aiming to drive the artificial intelligence (AI) transition of Korea's food industry and bolster its global competitiveness.
At the launch ceremony, CJ OliveNetworks and HakHwa 1934 presented smart manufacturing innovation cases. Government and industry officials reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate for the AI transition of the food industry and to expand manufacturing innovation through the "K-food smart manufacturing alliance vision declaration."
Participating institutions agreed to jointly promote the spread of K-food manufacturing AX (AI transformation), data-driven manufacturing innovation, stronger cooperation between manufacturing corporations and technology corporations, and expanded on-site validation.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) will support the spread of AI-based smart factories and the establishment of a foundation for utilizing manufacturing data, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to push the digital transition across the food industry, including production, distribution, and dining. The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety will also support the spread of smart HACCP, which manages food production processes in real time, and smart GMP, which digitizes manufacturing and quality management data.
Minister Han Seong-sook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said, "The government will support a leading model for AI-based smart manufacturing innovation in the food industry and, based on this, will spread the AI transition across Korea's broader manufacturing sectors, including beauty and fashion."
Vice Minister Kim Jong-gu of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, "We will foster Foodtech essential to AI in the food industry—such as smart food manufacturing and distribution and food robots—and spread advanced technologies that leverage AI," adding, "Furthermore, based on a smart food industry, we will industrialize the entire experience, including recipes, technology, and content."
Vice Minister Kim Yong-jae of the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety noted, "By linking smart HACCP and smart GMP with the K-food manufacturing AX program, we will help food manufacturing corporations use data as an asset and convert AI into a competitive edge."
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) is also holding the "AI+ Smart Factory Show 2026" at Coex. Corporations in manufacturing AI and smart factories are participating to showcase the latest technologies and innovation cases. Through business matching and investor relations (IR), the event will support cooperation between supplier corporations and manufacturing corporations.