Chungcheongbuk-do has succeeded in attracting a "smart factory" from SPC Samlip, the No. 1 player in Korea's baking industry. The total investment is about 300 billion won.
This is the first time SPC Samlip's investment location has been disclosed. After a fatal accident at its Siheung plant on May, SPC Samlip has been pushing to build a smart factory that strengthens safety using artificial intelligence (AI) and information and communication technology (ICT).
According to local governments and the food industry on Dec. 1, Chungcheongbuk-do and SPC Samlip plan to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) this month to build a Smart Factory in the province. SPC Samlip is aiming to break ground within the year. Once the plant is up and running, it is expected to create jobs for more than 1,000 people.
The new plant to be built in Chungcheongbuk-do is expected to be SPC Samlip's second bread plant. SPC Samlip currently operates six plants in Korea, in Siheung, Gyeonggi; Daegu; Cheongju and Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do; Sejong; and Seocheon, Chungcheongnam-do. Of these, only the Siheung Shihwa plant produces bread, while the others handle production related to ingredients and food.
A local government official said, "Considering its proximity to the greater Seoul area as well as cooperation and logistics with other plants in Chungcheong Province, it seems they chose Chungcheongbuk-do as the site for the smart factory."
The new smart plant that SPC Samlip is pursuing in Chungcheongbuk-do is expected to be built on a site of about 66,200㎡ (about 20,000 pyeong) as a state-of-the-art production base equipped with AI closed-circuit (CC) TV and robots.
An SPC Samlip official said, "We are discussing several possibilities," adding, "However, nothing has been finalized yet."