Ulsan accelerates AI transformation for local small businesses

Ulsan City held a performance-sharing event and inspection meeting Thursday at Lotte Hotel Ulsan to review progress on a regional AI transformation project and chart a course to accelerate AI adoption among local small and medium-sized enterprises.

The meeting was attended by Ulsan Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs Shin Min-sik, Korea SMEs and Startups Agency Regional Innovation Director Ban Jeong-sik, the heads of the Ulsan Small and Medium Business Association and the SME Convergence Ulsan Federation, and representatives of project implementing organizations. Participants reviewed outcomes — including sales growth and reduced defect rates — at companies that had received technology verification support, and discussed operational difficulties encountered during project implementation.

The regional AI transformation project is a metropolitan government-led initiative designed to promote AI adoption tailored to local conditions. Ulsan City is investing a total of 24.06 billion won ($18 million), including 14 billion won in national government funding, to build a full-cycle support system covering AI introduction, pilot testing and broader rollout for local small and medium-sized enterprises.

The project involves Ulsan Technopark, the Ulsan Information Industry Promotion Agency, the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), the University of Ulsan and the Ulsan Creative Economy Innovation Center. It is organized around four core areas to drive the digital transformation of small businesses: establishing a manufacturing AI innovation hub, building a computing center, providing hands-on customized support, and developing convergence AI talent.

Specific initiatives include setting up an AI experience exhibition hall, an AI academy and a network lounge, introducing a GPU cooperative zone, distributing AI solutions for manufacturing processes, safety and quality inspection, and launching hands-on AI education courses to train specialist personnel.

"We will analyze the results to accelerate the AI transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises and complete a sustainable innovation ecosystem," Deputy Mayor Shin said.