Daejeon Technopark earns 'A' rating in national smart manufacturing evaluation

Daejeon Technopark announced Thursday that it received an "A" rating — the top performance grade — in the 2025 Regional Smart Manufacturing Innovation Center evaluation, in recognition of its achievements in smart factory deployment and AI-driven manufacturing transformation.

The assessment, organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs (TIPA), covered all 19 regional smart manufacturing innovation centers nationwide and evaluated each on smart factory deployment and expansion results, center operations, and efforts to advance AI adoption and digital transformation in manufacturing.

Daejeon Technopark was recognized for going beyond simply installing smart factory systems. The center visited manufacturing sites directly to identify companies' challenges and needs, and operated a tailored support framework that linked AI-driven process upgrades with post-installation follow-up management.

The center identified a persistent on-site problem: small and medium-sized enterprises continued to struggle with data management and utilization even after completing smart factory installations. In response, it sharpened its support strategy around three core manufacturing AI models — vision inspection for quality control, simulation for process management, and predictive maintenance for equipment management — to improve practical effectiveness.

Daejeon Technopark also focused on generating measurable results. An analysis of management and production indicators at companies that had installed smart factories showed that key performance indicators, including reductions in manufacturing lead time and lower process defect rates, were achieved at an average of more than 160 percent of initial targets. An internal review of existing installations also found that more than 80 percent of companies maintained strong operation and utilization levels.

Going forward, Daejeon Technopark plans to promote data sharing and dissemination centered on representative AI models applicable at factory sites, while also working in stages to build environments where companies can manage and analyze data internally and to upgrade customized AI models for individual businesses.