#South Korea #Seoul #K-Beauty #AI Factory #Kolmar Korea

Kolmar Korea Selected for AI Factory Project

In a significant move for the beauty industry, Kolmar Korea has been chosen as the sole cosmetics company to spearhead a government-funded initiative known as the AI Factory, led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Resources (MOTIR) of South Korea. This initiative aims to promote innovation and enhance the country's global competitiveness in K-Beauty production.

The AI Factory project is set to transform the traditional cosmetics manufacturing process into an autonomous system that integrates advanced artificial intelligence across all stages of production. Unlike conventional factories that rely heavily on preset human inputs, AI factories analyze real-time data to optimize production flows automatically. This shift is expected to foster agile production capabilities, thereby allowing Kolmar to adapt quickly to diverse customer demands and preferences.

As part of this initiative, Kolmar plans to develop a fully autonomous manufacturing system that encompasses every aspect of cosmetic production, from planning and formulation to quality control, filling, and packaging. The intention is to modularize each manufacturing stage and implement advanced AI models to achieve a process accuracy exceeding 95%, setting a new benchmark within the industry. This high standard is anticipated to significantly reduce rework caused by defects and maximize production efficiency.

The project will unfold over four years, from September 2025 to December 2029, and aims to position Kolmar Korea at the forefront of the AI Transformation (AX) in the cosmetics sector. Key initiatives include creating an integrated data platform that connects all cosmetic production processes and developing autonomous AI models aimed at enhancing product quality and precision.

With rising demand for personalization and rapid turnaround in the global cosmetics market, adopting AI-driven manufacturing technology is crucial for sustaining the competitive edge of K-Beauty. Notably, many existing manufacturing processes in the cosmetics industry still depend heavily on manual labor, particularly concerning custom product designs and packaging. Kolmar Korea intends to share its best practices from the AI Factory implementation to accelerate digital innovation throughout the Korean cosmetics manufacturing ecosystem.

In 2019, Kolmar Korea laid the groundwork for AI-based manufacturing with the introduction of its Smart Factory system, which achieved a 42% reduction in errors. The new AI Factory initiative will build on this foundation, creating a next-generation manufacturing system optimized for flexible small-batch production. A representative from Kolmar Korea stated, “Being selected as the sole cosmetics company for the government’s AI Factory project highlights our leadership in AI-driven manufacturing. We will leverage our autonomous AI systems to advance Korean cosmetic manufacturing standards and enhance the global competitiveness of K-Beauty.”

With production facilities located in Korea, the United States, Canada, and China, Kolmar Korea plans to deploy the new AI systems across all its global production sites. The company also aims to extend the application of AI Factory technology to its other subsidiaries, including Kolmar BNH (nutraceuticals), HK inno.N (pharmaceuticals), and Yonwoo (cosmetic packaging).

Through this pioneering AI Factory initiative, Kolmar Korea endeavors to redefine the future of K-Beauty production, ensuring its position as a leader in innovative and efficient manufacturing methods. The move not only promises to revolutionize cosmetic production within Korea but also has the potential to influence global trends in beauty product manufacturing.