Ministry of SMEs and Startups holds policy forum on AI transformation for small businesses

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said Tuesday it held a roundtable of its "SME and Venture AI Policy Consultative Body."

About 20 participants attended the meeting at OSCO in Cheongju, including ministry officials, representatives from public institutions, AI specialist and user companies, and industry associations. The ministry said it organized the forum to hear directly from businesses and find solutions for companies struggling to adopt AI, as corporate innovation driven by the technology continues to spread.

The government's push to accelerate AI transformation among small and medium-sized enterprises stems from concern that a widening gap in AI adoption between large conglomerates and smaller firms could translate into lasting differences in productivity and competitiveness. While large companies are expanding AI adoption backed by their own personnel and capital, many small businesses face significant hurdles — including a shortage of skilled workers, high costs, and difficulty securing data.

At the forum, the ministry gathered on-the-ground opinions and expert recommendations on ways to promote AI adoption among regional companies, as well as on a proposed bill to promote AI use by small businesses currently under review in the National Assembly.

Jang Tae-woo, a professor at Kyonggi University, said industry-academia cooperation centered on soon-to-graduate university students is increasingly important for expanding AI-skilled hiring at small businesses. "Government workforce development programs also need to further expand practice-based, problem-solving courses that link universities and companies," he said.

Lee Sang-ho, head of the Korea Autonomous Manufacturing Platform Association, said what small businesses want is the practical, on-site application of technology. "Beyond AI technology verification, it is urgent to create opportunities for productivity gains through system interoperability and data standardization," he said.

Park Jeong-yun, chief executive of Interex, said building regional and industry-specific "AI transformation data hubs" — where companies can safely access high-quality data — is essential for genuine AI transformation among regional small businesses.

Hwang Yeong-ho, the ministry's director general for technology innovation policy, said the ministry would do its best to develop AI adoption and diffusion measures that businesses can feel on the ground, drawing on the proposals and opinions raised at the consultative body.

The ministry plans to hold the SME and Venture Policy Consultative Body on a regular basis, using it to strengthen cooperation with public institutions and associations involved in AI policy for small businesses and ventures, and to gather input from AI companies and experts.