[Digital Today reporter Jin-ho Lee (이진호)] The government will strengthen inter-ministry cooperation to expand artificial intelligence transformation in industrial and manufacturing sites.

The Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on March 12 they will issue a joint notice for major 2026 industry and manufacturing AI transformation (AX) projects and hold a combined briefing session for companies.

The joint notice is a follow-up step to a work agreement the three ministries signed in October last year on expanding AX across industry. Companies previously had to check each ministry’s programmes separately, but the unified notice will allow them to review major AX projects at once.

The notice includes multiple programmes to expand AX across industry, including AI agents, rapid commercialisation support for AI applications products (AX-Sprint), industrial AI solution demonstration and rollout, an AI integrated voucher, AI virtual convergence and smart factories.

The three ministries will newly 추진 the AI agent programme starting this year. The Ministry of Science and ICT will focus on securing core technologies for agentic AI in areas with high public interest such as medical ultrasound and counselling services. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will pursue development and demonstrations of AI agents usable on manufacturing sites, including production planning, supply chain management and inventory operations. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will support development of multi-AI agent technologies centred on small and medium-sized manufacturing and consumer-facing industries such as food, beauty and pharmaceuticals.

They will also 추진 the "Rapid Commercialisation Support for AI Applications Products (AX-Sprint)" project to help AI-based products and services in promising fields reach the market quickly. The Ministry of Science and ICT will support AI convergence focused on everyday services and network and security, while the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will expand application of AI to manufacturing-site products such as equipment inspection robots and home appliances. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to support the spread of AI solutions for process innovation at small and medium-sized manufacturers.

Existing industry and manufacturing AX projects will also be announced together, including the Ministry of Science and ICT’s "AI Virtual Convergence Industry Innovation Project" and "AI Voucher", the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s "Industrial AI Solution Demonstration and Rollout" programme, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ smart factory programme.

The joint notice will begin on March 19. A joint briefing session for participation will be held on March 25 at the Westin Josun Hotel in Seoul. The session will also be livestreamed on YouTube, allowing regional companies to take part.

The Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups plan to continue expanding inter-ministry cooperation to spread industry and manufacturing AX. They also plan to keep working with the National AI Strategy Committee and related ministries.