Consortiums participating in the digital cluster project are expected to receive up to 6.4 billion won in additional support, enabling them to create global-level manufacturing synergy.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Kwon Chil-seung, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of SMEs and Startups) announced on the 11th that it is announcing a general and leading digital cluster support project based on smart factories and will be accepting applications from interested businesses until Tuesday, February 15th.

This project goes beyond supporting smart factories centered on individual factories to interconnect smart factories of multiple companies, including value chains and collaborative enterprises, based on data and networks.

Through this, it is possible to carry out △division of labor production △logistics and material management △ordering and sales channels and marketing together.

The business's defining characteristic is that it moves beyond the traditional location-centric cluster approach and enables diverse collaborative projects between companies located far away through digital technology.

This is because the cluster is connected like a single factory through digital technologies such as cloud, big data, and AI among collaborating companies.

Applicants must apply as a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) or a consortium of SMEs or medium-sized enterprises with a need for collaboration, and must apply under one of two tracks: general and leading.

The general type first selects planning organizations such as techno parks and cooperative associations to establish systematic strategies and discover corporate needs.

The planning agency recruits and proposes a cluster with at least 10 manufacturing companies participating per consortium.

After that, a final evaluation will be conducted to select and support a total of 10 cluster consortia.

The leading type supports a consortium with a closely linked collaborative structure, including forward and backward value chains, centered around a representative company (leading company).

To this end, a consortium must be formed and applied for by at least 15 manufacturing companies together with an information strategy planning agency.

A total of three clusters are selected, and the representative companies of two of these clusters are selected as small and medium-sized enterprises.

As long as the number of manufacturing companies is met, the consortium will also allow the participation of additional related companies such as design, distribution, logistics, sales, and after-sales service.

Cluster participating companies will receive support for building smart factories (KRW 50 million/KRW 200 million/KRW 400 million) based on their smartness target level, along with the construction of a smart system that enables inter-company linkage and joint use.

In the case of the leading model, up to 6.4 billion won will be additionally provided over the next three years to build a joint and collaborative smart system, enabling the creation of global-level manufacturing synergy.

Park Jong-chan, head of the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Planning Division at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, “Network-based collaboration is important for strengthening the global competitiveness of manufacturing SMEs,” and added, “The digital cluster project will contribute to the qualitative advancement of the manufacturing innovation ecosystem through win-win cooperation.”

Companies wishing to participate can apply at Smart Factory 1st Street from January 12th to February 15th.