Korea Launches Dedicated Body for Manufacturing AI Standards

The Korea Industrial Complex Corporation (KICOX) is putting into full operation a dedicated body for standards and certification to support the manufacturing sector's shift to artificial intelligence. The plan is to systematize the criteria for data, infrastructure and AI solutions adopted on factory floors, and to help Korean firms' technologies feed into international standards.

KICOX said on the 25th that it had held a ceremony at its headquarters in Daegu on the 24th to present the appointment letter to the new head of the M.AX Standards and Certification Center, which opened in July, along with a plaque-unveiling ceremony, and had begun full operations.

The M.AX Standards and Certification Center handles standardization and certification across three areas needed to spread manufacturing AI: data, infrastructure and solutions. It also works to establish the technical criteria firms need when introducing AI on factory floors, and to improve interoperability among different equipment, data and solutions.

Lee Heon-jung, former head of the public data division at the National Information Society Agency (NIA), was named as the inaugural center head. Lee handled public data policy, the web accessibility certification system and management planning at the NIA from 1997 through this year. Lee also served on the Information and Communications Standardization Committee of the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA), building experience in standards development and certification.

KICOX plans to link the center's work to its recently expanding international standardization activities. Last month, Korea secured the secretariat position for the newly created Smart Manufacturing and Enterprise Applications subcommittee (SC65F) under the Industrial Automation committee (TC65) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). KICOX takes on the international secretariat duties for the subcommittee starting this month.

Going forward, KICOX intends to work with the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards to support the development and dissemination of international standards across the 12 working groups under SC65F, and to help Korean manufacturers' technologies be reflected in global standards. In particular, it plans to connect manufacturing AI technologies and application cases verified in Korea to international standards, supporting firms' entry into overseas markets.

KICOX Chairman Lee Sang-hoon said, "Standards and certification are a common language that tells manufacturers what they need to have and how when adopting AI, and the foundation that lets different equipment, data and solutions connect as one." He added, "With an expert who has built up decades of experience in public-sector standards and certification systems joining as center head, we will move with a sense of urgency to build a solid standards and certification support system that firms can trust and use."