Meanwhile, since the 2010s, there has been a growing interest in the transition to a new production paradigm around the world and the social changes that will result from it (Ju et al., 2015a). The transformation, sometimes called Industry 4.0, is driven by the conjunction of the increasing interconnection of machines, inventories and goods delivered via the Internet of Things (IoT), the capabilities of software embedded in machines, analysis of the large volumes of digital data generated by sensors, and the ubiquitous availability of computing power via cloud computing. Korean companies, of which a high proportion are manufacturers and exposed to global competition, have also had to prepare for the emergence of new production methods. Since 2014, the Korean government has been actively promoting a strategy to innovate in the manufacturing industry and support the digital transformation of SMEs. The key to this strategy is the smart factory.
Currently, the Korean government understands the expansion of smart factories as a core policy for enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs, and it has proposed a target to build 30,000 smart factories by 2022. To this end, it is promoting comprehensive support programs for SMEs that take the form of expanded financial support, human resource development and innovation in the workplace.