We must work together to build a growth ecosystem where small and midsize enterprises can strap on the new wings of AI, innovate, and soar into the global market.
ChosunBiz held the 2026 SME AX Leaders Forum at the Westin Josun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 9th. The SME AX Leaders Forum is a small and venture business forum that ChosunBiz launched last year, the first in Korea aimed at spreading AI transformation (AX) across small and midsize enterprises. In its second year, the forum shared AI success stories from SMEs and focused on execution strategies to boost productivity and competitiveness based on AI and advance into global markets.
The forum was supported by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Seoul Business Agency (SBA), and the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise (KFME). About 200 people, including SME CEOs, AI experts, and officials from the government and related institutions, attended.
◇"AI is the new wings for SMEs"
ChosunBiz CEO Kim Young-su said in opening remarks, "I hope today's forum will be an opportunity for domestic SMEs to be reborn as new pillars of the Korean economy," adding, "I believe SMEs with the new wings of AI will take off more powerfully toward the global market."
Huh Sung-moo of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the Trade. Industry Energy. SMEs. and Startups Committee of the National Assembly, said in congratulatory remarks, "AX for SMEs is a core strategy that will strengthen the backbone of Korea's manufacturing ecosystem and protect the nation's technological sovereignty," adding, "We will push regulatory innovation and policy support so SMEs can actively use AI on the ground without burdens of expense and manpower."
Lee Byeong-gweon, the second vice minister at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), noted, "AI is no longer a technology reserved only for a handful of advanced companies. It is a key growth tool that raises manufacturing productivity, expands customer management and sales channels for microbusinesses, and accelerates the global expansion of SMEs and startups," adding, "We will focus our policy capabilities so that SMEs, startups, and microbusinesses can become the leading players in the era of AI transformation."
◇"Building an SME AX ecosystem… a paradigm shift in talent, investment, and execution"
Kim Chang-hyeon, a professor at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) and an expert in business strategy and China, delivered a keynote speech on "China evolving with AI, Korea's response strategy." Kim said, "While Korea's AX focuses on in-house process optimization and automation, China is using AI to reconfigure the entire industry's value chain and ecosystem," stressing, "AX is not just an IT rollout but a shift in the very frame through which we view the value chain."
Myung Chang-guk, executive vice president in charge of the Smart Logistics Center and Robotics at LG CNS, presented strategies for manufacturing and logistics innovation using robotics and physical AI. Myung said, "Automation levels at domestic manufacturing and logistics sites still hover around 30%," projecting, "Through 'mobile automation' based on AMRs (autonomous mobile robots), a fully autonomous operations era that allows expansion and redeployment will open."
Kim Dong-hwan, CEO of Nexseed Ventures, divided the AI investment ecosystem into three layers—core AI, infrastructure, and applications—and projected, "Investment opportunities will expand not so much in AI itself but across the supporting infrastructure, platforms, and applications."
Kim highlighted as key shifts for SMEs in the AI era the redefinition of human capital, bootstrapping capital raised through own funds and early sales, and rapid product development (MVP) using AI, adding, "By leveraging AI agents, 'Lean AI Native' corporations that achieve large-enterprise-level results with small teams will emerge."
◇From beauty to defense and biotech… sharing standout SME AX cases
Presentations also followed on AX innovation cases from diverse SMEs in beauty and defense. CTK CEO Choi Seon-young announced plans to build an "AI-based OBM (original brand manufacturing)" platform where AI handles everything from brand planning to design and product development. CTK is driving digital transformation in the global beauty industry by integrating AI into its cosmetics planning, production, and distribution platform "CTK CLIP."
Fundgin CEO Kim Deuk-hwa introduced an AI-based "Kill Web Matching (KWM)" technology that analyzes battlefield information and recommends optimal force operations. The technology was demonstrated in combat experiments at the Korea Combat Training Center (KCTC) and in joint firepower drills across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, proving the feasibility of applying AI in defense.
Cellkey AI CEO Lee Nam-yong presented a case of digitizing the biotechnology research process through an AI-based omics data analysis platform. The company said it greatly boosted research productivity by integrating the entire process—from analysis requests to result interpretation and follow-up research proposals—through agentic AI.
A general discussion chaired by Kim Se-hoon, head of Korea and Southeast Asia at BCC Global, featured AT Kearney Korea CEO Cho Hyeong-jin and Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) Director of the SME AI Diffusion Promotion Team Kwak Jae-kyung, among others, and explored policies and global growth strategies for spreading AI among SMEs.
◇First presentation of the "AX Leaders Grand Prize"… four SMEs leading AI innovation selected
ChosunBiz established the "AX Leaders Grand Prize" for the first time this year and honored SMEs that achieved business innovation, productivity gains, and stronger competitiveness through AX.
The Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) Award went to Taelim Industrial, an auto parts manufacturer that led manufacturing AI innovation, while the ChosunBiz CEO Award went to GenGenAI, a defense AI synthetic data company. MarkCloud, an AI-based trademark filing automation company, won the top prize, and Cellkey AI, a biotech AI company, received the Future Innovation Award.
ChosunBiz plans to continue uncovering exemplary AX cases to help spread AX among domestic SMEs and strengthen their global competitiveness.