The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Small and Medium Enterprises Agency (KOSME) have finalized the selection of 13 contract departments, including 10 industry-specific AI contract departments and three general ones.
According to KOSME on June 21, the demand for AI utilization in industries has surged due to the recent spread of generative AI. However, small businesses are facing challenges in adopting and utilizing AI due to a lack of specialized personnel and limitations in retraining existing employees.
To address this, KOSME has established the industry-specific AI contract departments to cultivate practical talent equipped with both industry expertise and AI capabilities.
The selected industry-specific AI contract departments will offer educational programs that integrate AI with key sectors such as manufacturing, biotechnology, materials and components, and aerospace defense, training professionals who can solve real-world problems in the workplace.
Notably, the programs will involve industry-academic collaboration projects, allowing employees of small businesses to tackle actual corporate issues using AI technologies, focusing on areas like production process improvement, advanced quality management, and data-driven decision-making.
Earlier, KOSME announced in March its plans to recruit new universities for the 2026 small business workforce development program, outlining the selection process for contract departments.
Kang Seok-jin, the head of KOSME, stated, "The industry-specific AI contract departments will serve as a key talent development platform that supports the self-sustaining AI transformation of small businesses, going beyond mere technical education."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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