As the government has decided to provide up to 15 million won per person to small business owners operating smart stores, the distribution of smart technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) unmanned liquor vending machines to neighborhood stores and supermarkets is expected to begin in earnest.
City Sharing Platform Co., Ltd. utilized AI object recognition technology at the Special Deliberation Committee on Industrial Convergence Regulations of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy of Korea in June 2020 to prevent small business owners from being embroiled in litigation, business suspension, or closure due to the intentional purchase of alcohol by minors. Selected as a special company for regulation of alcohol vending machine operation. In addition, as of 2022, 25 small business stores and 2 unmanned convenience stores have been operated through the small business support program of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Business Market Promotion Corporation since 2020.
According to related industries on the 25th, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Business Market Promotion Corporation will provide up to 15 million won to 1,500 small business owners who wish to operate smart stores to strengthen the self-reliance and competitiveness of individual small business owners.
Small business owners who wish to open a smart store can receive support by applying through the Small Business Market Promotion Corporation website by May 13th. Stores that are operating normally as of the application date are eligible for support.
Smart Store is a project that supports small business stores such as neighborhood stores and neighborhood supermarkets to operate 24 hours a day by incorporating smart technologies such as AI unmanned liquor vending machines, kiosks, serving robots, and smart mirrors.
Park Jin-seok, CEO of City Sharing Platform, a developer of AI-based liquor vending machines, said, “If smart technology is used, stores can significantly reduce labor costs and maximize profits. With government support, unmanned liquor vending machines will be installed in local stores and local supermarkets.” “The spread of smart technologies will begin in earnest,” he predicted.
In June 2020, City Sharing Platform, Korea’s first liquor vending machine regulatory verification special company, was selected as a smart technology supplier and has been operating 21 smart stores and directly managed unmanned convenience stores with the support of the Small Business Market Promotion Corporation since 2021.
For example, if a city sharing platform supplies an AI unmanned liquor vending machine with a selling price of 8 million won to a small business owner for 7 million won, the Small Business Market Promotion Corporation will support up to 5 million won, and the small business owner will only have to pay 2 million won.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced in February that it would support 5,500 smart stores through the Smart Store Small Business Support Project, and in March, it recruited cooperatives and organizations by small business industry to support the introduction and management of smart store technology.
Source: Pangyo Techno Valley Official Newsroom
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