Nearly 20,000 smart factories are now operating in Korea

A growing number of factories in Korea have adopted smart solutions based on cutting-edge technologies to improve manufacturing efficiency, government data showed Thursday.

A total of 19,799 smart factories were registered in Korea by the end of 2020, up from 12,660 in 2019 and 7,903 in 2018, according to data from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

A smart factory is defined as a factory where production processes are combined with digital technology, smart computing and big data and advanced networks to create an agile, automated manufacturing environment.

Large companies, including chipmaker Samsung Electronics and steelmaker Posco, have collaborated with their contractors to streamline their manufacturing lines and adopt digital solutions, including 5G, robots and the Internet of Things.

The ministry said it will expand support for SMEs to incorporate artificial intelligence solutions and the cloud to spur digital transformation in the manufacturing sector.

The government aims to create 30,000 smart factories and 10 smart industrial zones by 2022 to upgrade the Korean manufacturing industry's competitiveness.

Yonhap