The government is setting out to discover manufacturing service models utilizing mega-artificial intelligence (AI).

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister Lee Chang-yang) announced on the 9th that it is publishing the '2023 Knowledge Service Industry Business Idea (BI)-linked R&D Projects'.

BI-linked R&D is a project that aims to create creative and challenging manufacturing service models by selecting and supporting business ideas (BI) freely proposed by the private sector through a competitive process.

This year, by broadly gathering opinions from technology and industry experts and private investment institutions, we selected three themes with bright market prospects and high investment attractiveness: 'Robot as a Service (RaaS), Mobility as a Service (MaaS), and Business Services (legal, accounting, tax, etc.) models'.

This time, two institutions will be selected for each theme and provided with 100 million won for business model planning costs for six months. After evaluating the business models, the finally selected institutions will be provided with 1 billion won in R&D funds over two years. In particular, when selecting projects, priority will be given to institutions that present plans for collaboration with mega-AI platform operating companies.

Park Dong-il, Director General of Manufacturing Industry Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated, “We look forward to discovering creative and challenging manufacturing service models utilizing mega-AI through this knowledge service BI-linked R&D project,” and added that the ministry plans to establish a ‘Strategy for Activating Manufacturing Service Convergence’ within the year to support the creation of new convergence businesses in the private sector.

Detailed information will be available on the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy website and the Industrial Technology R&D Information Portal starting from the 9th, and applications for research and development projects will be accepted through the Industrial Technology R&D Information Portal until June 7, 2023.