[Consumerwide - Jinil Kang Reporter / Yohan Bok Reporter] Nurturing means caring for and encouraging growth. Thus, nurturing experts and industries of businesses can be considered consumption value, which is also effective in dominating and leading the new food industry ahead of other businesses. For this reason, I went to interview a business that has begun initiating shared growth through nurturing projects on February 20.

Pulmuone began cooperating with Iksansi, located in Jeonrabukdo, to nurture the industry of alternative plant-based food products by signing an MOU on February 19. The practical steps include making a cooperative network, commercialising and developing alternative plant-based food products, cooperating and creating social value between large and small businesses, and sharing global trend data and new technology in the foodtech sector.

Pulmuone launched Pulmuone Jigusikdan, a sustainable food-focused brand, in August 2022 and is initiating the business on a full scale since they have claimed to lead the plant-based food industry in March 2021.

On the other hand, Samsung Electronics jumped into the robot industry to nurture experts in cooperation with Seoul University. In particular, Samsung Electronics is getting applicants for the SSRT programme for current and new graduate students of Seoul University with a condition of full employment, which can be interpreted as strengthening the robot business competitiveness as a future feed by casting the robot experts. The global robot industry will scale to about 345.3 trillion won (260 billion USD) in 2030 from 33.2 trillion won (25 billion USD) in 2020, according to Boston Consulting Group. For this reason, they began focusing on workers after aggressive investment in the business, concerning the fact that the market is lacking experts for developing the future new industry. Referring to the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, 1,302 experts are lacking in the Korean AI robot industry in 2021, which is a negative 3.6% of demand. There are currently about 34,849 specialists in the AI robot sector, and by 2031, it is predicted that there will be a demand for 50,711 experts.

Kakao has facilitated the "making customers come back challenge" for on- and offline small businesses, which has a mission of making 1000 Kakaotalk channel friends between Octobour and Decembeer last year. As a result of having 1,941 participants along with 149 people who completed the mission, small businesses won 230,000 channel friends. Kakao has rewarded participant businesses that completed the mission with a certification and message voucher. Kakao plans to continue their shared growth partnership with small businesses.

Lottehomeshopping began facilitating an overseas training programme for undergraduate students who aim to work in the broadcasting and distribution fields in the future last year in cooperation with the Korea Distribution Association. The programme includes all expenses, such as airfare and accommodation fees, during market exploration and expert lectures. Participants can earn extra points at the time of applying for the Lottehomeshopping internship. They plan to continue the young adult support programme in the distribution industry.

Hyundai Motor Group has been getting applicants for the Zero01NE Accelerator project, along with 14 cooperative project startups with a theme of software-defined vehicles, smart factories, ESG, and AI. The current team of Hyundai Motor Group suggests a project, participates in the project selection process, and cooperates in the project with the final winner, Starup Business. During the project, Hyundai will provide financial support for project development, along with the possibility of equity investments through the Hyundai Motor Group Fund.

Meanwhile, KT and KT Group facilitate employment in overall duties until March 3. (Kt DS, Kt Cloud, Kt Studio Gini, RT Media) In particular, KT is offering job openings until the end of the year, hoping to employ experts in the sectors of large language model technology development (R&D), architecture, SW development, IT project strategy and design (IT), cloud native and multi/hybrid cloud transformation (technology consulting), new project design and development, B2B and B2G business suggestion and consulting, and digital media and contents. They want both capacity for each field and the quality of being able to respond to changing environments in management and business. KT is facilitating the KT AI MA at KAIST and Pohang University of Science and Technology since 2023 and the employment-conditioned MA in Applied AI Studies at Hanyang University since March 2022 in order to secure customised AI experts during the period with a lack of experts in the digital innovation sector.

Toyota Motor Corporation Korea has been accepting applicants for the Lexus Creative Master's Award since February 19, with a theme of "The Future of Crafts: Art of Genuinity." This award was initially designed to create a craftmanship culture with new craft artists in the domestic area in 2017. So far, they have cooperated with 27 artists since then by making the Lexus Creative Master's Edition and hosting special exhibitions. Any art piece that bears the craftsmanship that meets the heart of Lexus can be submitted. The 5 final winners get each 20 million won (one very final winner) and 5 million won (4 finalists). Besides, Toyota is carrying out a variety of expert nurturing activities such as job experiments and special lectures for teens (job experimental miracle, Jinro DAY at your door) in cooperation with Connect To, sponsoring Sejong Dream Tree Ochestra, and organising a Lexus and Toyota automation training academy for car technology field undergraduates.

Recently, Hyundai Construction has completed an achievement sharing meeting with four businesses in the nurturing track, which supports early businesses in the construction, innovative technology, and environmental sectors. This project is a part of the 2023 Hyundai Construction×Seoul Startup Open Innovation Competition, which took place between March and May 2023. The project is set of two tracks: nurturing and cooperating (smart health care·safety·construction sector). Hyundai has supported them with law, management, and marketing expert mentoring, and the chosen businesses reached an 880 million won sales record and 0.8 billion won after investing for eight months. Hyundai Construction plans to make a virtuous circle in industry through the growth of early startups, even in the future. Celltrion is nurturing four businesses that are bio and medical startups, Medimapbio, Ateonbio, Enterobiome, and S&K Terapeutics, which are relevant to new projects and technologies in the development process this year. (Seoul Biohub-Celltrion Open Innovation)

Gowoonsesang Cosmetic has participated in the 7th Booster for Talent’s Success (BTS) programme. The programme is facilitated by Persol Korea (global HR), the Ministry of Labour, and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The programme is initiated to secure a good quality of work environment and continue employment for young adults with impairments who have less chance for employment. (job experience) Company visits, mentoring with workers who are already carrying out the task in the company, training and field programmes for employment, and strengthening individual capacity are given to participants (team project theme: SNS contents for job applicants, branding activities for undergraduates, participating CSR activities, company culture that respects diversity of individuals related tivities). SK Social Contribution Foundation and Happay Sharing Fund (SK Happiness) are receiving applicants for the "2024 business union employment-connected training programme for people with pairments." Young adults with impairments can apply in two areas: web and content. Design, management, and financial duty areas. The trainees can get customised duty training at the Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities Guro Digital Training Centre between March and July. Afterwards, he has a chance for a job interview with the company where he wishes to work. 43 out of 46 participants were employed, and 17 out of 42 recruiting businesses employed experts with impairments until last year. Any registered citizen with impairments (welfare law for persons with disabilities) and citizens who are persons of national merit with an above-standard of injury have a chance to apply.