South Korea Launches K-Food Smart Manufacturing Alliance to Drive AI-Powered Global Competitiveness

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) jointly launched the K-Food Smart Manufacturing Alliance on June 10 at COEX Hall D in Seoul, on the occasion of the AI+ Smart Factory Show 2026.

The alliance is a public-private cooperation platform bringing together large and small food manufacturers, smart manufacturing technology SMEs, and specialized institutions, all united around a single goal: strengthening the global competitiveness of K-Food through AI-driven manufacturing innovation.

What distinguishes the alliance from previous initiatives is its ambition to move beyond individual company support toward a structural industry transformation. The platform aims to create a K-Food smart manufacturing standard model — integrating demand, production, quality, and hygiene management on an AI foundation — while establishing data and collaboration standards for the food industry as a whole. It marks the first private sector-led cooperation platform of its kind in Korea.

At the launch ceremony, CJ Olive Networks and Hakhwa 1934 showcased the smart manufacturing innovations they have achieved through their own digital transformation journeys and outlined their vision for AI-based manufacturing going forward.

Government and industry leaders then jointly proclaimed the K-Food Smart Manufacturing Alliance Vision Declaration. Signatories included MSS Minister Han Seong-sook, MAFRA Vice Minister Kim Jong-gu, MFDS Deputy Minister Kim Yong-jae, CJ CheilJedang CEO Kim Chan-ho, Sempio Foods CEO and Korea Food Industry Association Chairman Park Jin-sun, and Impix CEO and Korea Autonomous Manufacturing Platform Association Chairman Lee Sang-ho.

Through the declaration, participants jointly committed to: strengthening K-Food’s global competitiveness through AI transformation in manufacturing; advancing data- and AI-based manufacturing innovation; expanding cooperation among manufacturers, technology companies, and support institutions; promoting field-centered demonstration and the diffusion of results; and leading the AI transformation of Korean manufacturing as a whole.

The alliance launch coincides with the opening of the AI+ Smart Factory Show 2026, held in partnership with the 15th Smart Tech Korea (STK 2026) from June 10 to 12 at COEX Hall D. Under the theme “The Future of Manufacturing with AI,” the event features a 300-booth exhibition alongside conferences, business matching, and investor relations programs.