AI Transforms Industrial Policy Execution; Ministry Support Agencies Undergo Restructuring

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is undertaking a significant reorganization of its support agencies to bolster key national strategies: accelerating AI adoption in manufacturing and fostering regional industrial growth. The Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), a public institution under the ministry, has revamped its organizational structure to strengthen its role in these areas.

KIAT's restructuring shifts from a previous four-division, nine-team, one-center model to a new framework led by three vice president-level executives, each responsible for industrial innovation, regional innovation, and management innovation. This move aims to enhance the execution of government industrial policies. The industrial innovation vice president will oversee advanced manufacturing AI transformation, technology commercialization, regulatory innovation, and international cooperation. The regional innovation vice president will focus on linking manufacturing bases, supply chains, industrial talent, and mid-sized enterprise support, particularly within the '5-Hub 3-Special Zone' regional growth strategy. The management innovation vice president will handle strategic planning, performance management, external cooperation, and ESG management.

These organizational changes are closely linked to the upcoming "Act on Promoting Industrial Digital Transformation and AI Utilization," set to take effect on July 1. This revised legislation will designate KIAT as the dedicated agency responsible for technology development, infrastructure building, fact-finding surveys, and comprehensive plan support related to industrial digital transformation and AI adoption. KIAT plans to foster an AI ecosystem for manufacturing by promoting industrial data trading and AI utilization. The institute also increased its personnel, expanding from 47 to 53 department heads and from 34 to 38 section chiefs, to improve policy planning and field responsiveness. KIAT President Jeon Yun-jong stated the institute will concentrate its capabilities on generating industrial technology innovation outcomes that customers, including businesses, universities, and research institutions, can tangibly experience.

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We will focus our capabilities on creating industrial technology innovation outcomes that can be felt by our customers, including businesses, universities, and research institutions.