The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is connecting three industrial complexes focused on the shipbuilding industry into an AI-based supply chain. This initiative aligns with the 5-Peak 3-Special Regional Growth Strategy, as it expands the Industrial Complex M.AX project—previously pursued on an individual complex basis—to the entire shipbuilding supply chain.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister Kim Jeong-kwan) announced on the 22nd that it held a joint meeting of the MINI Alliance of three industrial complexes, including Daebul, Myeongji-Noksan, and Gunsan, at Hotel Hyundai in Mokpo.

Representatives from manufacturing companies, AI firms, universities, research institutes, and local governments attended the meeting to discuss the M.AX implementation strategy for the shipbuilding industry and measures for linking industrial complexes.

The MINI Alliance is a consultative body formed for each of the 10 AX demonstration industrial complexes to promote the spread of AI transition within industrial complexes.

The three industrial complexes share the major functions of the shipbuilding supply chain.

The Daebul Industrial Complex is a shipbuilding and marine cluster where large shipyards and collaborating SMEs are concentrated, while the Gunsan Industrial Complex is densely populated with marine mobility manufacturing companies that build medium and small vessels.

The Ministry of Industry explained that about 60% of domestic shipbuilding equipment companies are concentrated in the Myeongji-Noksan Industrial Complex.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy discussed cooperation measures to expand the shipbuilding industry's M.AX model throughout the supply chain by connecting the strengths of large-scale shipbuilding, medium- and small-scale shipbuilding, and hub industrial complexes for shipbuilding equipment.

The three MINI Alliances agreed to jointly establish a full-lifecycle utilization system that collects data and connects knowledge to support design, production, and quality decision-making with AI.

By industrial complex As for linkage measures, plans were announced to establish common infrastructure for the shipbuilding sector in Daebul, develop a shipbuilding-specialized AI search engine in Myeongji-Noksan, and develop design simulation and manufacturing quality control AI models in Gunsan.

The participants agreed that the performance and diffusion of AI models depend on securing high-quality data and recommended government support.

After the meeting, Minister Kim Jeong-kwan visited the site of the side event, the 'M.AX Caravan,' to check the status of cooperation between AI suppliers and manufacturers.

The M.AX Caravan is a field-oriented program that directly connects manufacturing companies hoping for an AI transition with AI solution providers. On this day, 14 AI providers introduced their solutions, and about 50 representatives from manufacturing companies attended to facilitate matching.

Minister Kim stated, “We will build an ‘AI shipbuilding supply chain’ where the three hub industrial complexes create and utilize data and models together with a focus on the field, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of K-shipbuilding and making it a practical foundation for regional growth.”