South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT is focusing its efforts on supporting domestic artificial intelligence semiconductor companies' entry into overseas markets.

On May 15, the ministry selected new tasks for its "AI semiconductor overseas pilot support" programme and held a launch briefing at Seoul Square.

The programme, first planned last year, aims to build up pilot cases of South Korean companies' AI solutions. Consortia of AI semiconductor companies and service companies taking part will carry out pilots over two years.

In the first year, they will lay the foundation for the pilots by optimising AI semiconductors, localising AI solutions and installing local pilot sites. In the second year, they will operate AI semiconductor and service packages in practice and build up operating track records in earnest.

The first-year tasks carried out last year have already produced visible results. LBSTech won a CES 2026 Best of Innovation Award based on results from a pilot of its "wheelchair safety navigation implementation service". Vernect signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mongolian Customs office through a pilot of its "customs administration support solution", strengthening the basis for global cooperation.

Eight consortia newly selected this year, including Green Blue, Duksung, Nuri Infos, Nota, MegazoneCloud, PiaSpace, Brainworks and Daon I&C, will conduct pilots based on South Korean AI semiconductors in six countries including Indonesia, Malaysia and New Zealand.

At the launch briefing, officials from 23 companies in the eight consortia shared detailed implementation plans and discussed how the programme will be run. The ministry plans to actively reflect feedback from companies gathered during last year's pilot process.

Park Tae-wan (박태완), director general for ICT Industry Policy at the ministry, said it would closely support the entire process so that strong references secured by the selected companies this year become a powerful catalyst for entering overseas markets.