The local government of North Jeolla-Province (also known as Jeonbuk), located in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula, has been provided with a governmental project to foster its regional industries and companies and to overcome existing business systems by adapting the information technologies such as big data, networking and artificial intelligence. Jeonbuk Digital Convergence Center, as an affiliated center of Jeonbuk TechnoPark, serves as a mainstay for digital transformation of the province. One of its support programs for digitalization of the farming industry – Software Convergence Cluster Project – led to an astounding leap of participant companies. Following are three of the best companies which achieved great performances.
Poultry-specialized Data Management Solution: EMOTION Co., Ltd.
The South Korean poultry industry is moving forward with digitization. A challenging environment with a tough climate control for poultry production and a decrease in farming population led companies to seek technology to increase their production efficiency.
More companies realised that digital tools to bring this efficient and competitive edge are not only the fabric of the buildings, the concrete and the stainless-steel equipment but specialized data management technology and systems can also provide them a cutting edge.
By applying Big Data and IT technology, EMOTION Co., Ltd developed a solution that enables poultry husbandries to monitor the environment, bird behaviours and growth rate supporting more efficient farm performance. KOKOfarm, which started its development in 2017, provides basic operation programs based on big data analysis for average weight, environmental monitoring, and remote control for each farmhouse.
KOKOfarm can be customized for the best growth environment by analyzing and predicting the average weight of the animals in the relay in real time to determine the optimal release date. The electronic device developed by the company collects Qthe weight data 24 hours a day, analyzes it, and calculates the release date through the average weight forecast and prediction. It also has a four-step alarming system for growth-sensitive factors such as temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and ammonia level, which will establish a more decent environment for the animal’s growth. IoT systems can enable remote-control of operation devices, such as ventilation fan, feeding system, water supply system and light, in the henhouse with a smartphone.
The collected data is also easily available through each farm’s website or mobile application with visualized graphs so that anyone can grasp the change in average weight, death rate, output statistics and environment at a glance. Having access to this level of data and using this to make informed decisions will allow producers to improve performance as well as help the sector to become more transparent. Quality improvement and labor reduction can be realized by establishing big data according to the growth of the chicken and sharing optimal growth information through analysis and statistics.
This technology when utilised along with poultry husbandry expertise provides a powerful combination. The KOKO farm system has secured reliability through the operation of three private farms and test beds, and is being installed and finally, in 2019, was operated in 52 breeding buildings of Harim Co., Ltd. which is one of the largest companies engaged in the processing of chicken products. The solution has been successfully distributed in 30 farms in different 150 towns in connection with Jeollabuk-do, a metropolitan government, Iksan, Jeongeup, Gimje, and Buan local governments in 2020. The company is gradually upgrading its technology based on the public project, with the help of related support organizations in the region including Jeonbuk TechnoPark.
The Automated Equipment and System for Easier Beekeeping : DAESUNG Co., Ltd.
Bee is one of the main players not only in producing honey but also in enriching the natural ecosystem. Bees are needed to pollinate plants, which results in reproducing plants such as trees and flowers. Therefore, beekeeping (also known as apiculture) is an industry that contributes to nature and the environment. However, the industry was relatively shunned compared to other agricultural industries such as farming, livestock, and fisheries. Of course, there were less investments, further R&D, or little startups.
DAESUNG Co., Ltd in South Korea has stepped foot on this apiculture business with highly-developed technology. The company launched the automated equipment and system, named SMARTHIVE, for taking out the honeycomb from the beehive, brushing, and stacking.
When a person collects honey, generally three people are required. When one takes out the honeycomb in the hive, the other brushes the honey and collects it. Another person organizes the hive and puts it back in the hive. Honeycombs full of honey weigh from 3kg to 5kg. It is a burdensome weight for an elderly beekeeper to carry, organize, and put it back in. As agriculture workforces are becoming older, the whole working process is becoming more burdensome.
Using the Hive Controller developed by DAESUNG enables workers to easily take out honeycombs from beehives, to brush bees and to stack honeycombs outside beehives in approximately a minute. As it helps simplify complex work steps and is compatible with various sizes of beehives around the world, even a novice can use it alone to extract honey. Its weight is as light as lifted with one hand. With this automated hive controller, beekeeping farms in Korea could reduce working time by 50% compared to the existing products and also cut back the labor cost. The first version of the SMARTHIVE proved its excellence globally by being honored with the Innovation Awards at the CES 2021.
DAESUNG prepares the future for a better life through the development of apiculture with consistent efforts to beekeeping research and development under the brand SMARTHIVE. To that end, the company does not shirk a challenge by providing additional equipment such as a Hornet Trap and Hornet Guard for effective and easy maintenance. It is expected that systematic management developed by DAESUNG will help improve the quality and quantity of the apiculture industry.
Digitalization Made a Milestone for Growth: NJ Company
NJ Company manufactures and sells disinfectant, deodorizing and peracetic acid products with its own ingredients. By producing alkaline ionized water of the highest quality, the company is leading the disinfectant chemical industry in South Korea.The company continues to research and develop our unique ingredients such as ixeris polycephala extract and alkaline ionized water. The pure alkaline ionized water of pH12.5 is a highly effective cleanser with antibacterial properties. Furthermore, the ixeris polycephala extract is a safe and effective ingredient which is extracted from wild ixeris polycephala and can be used in cosmetics and soap.
The COVID-19 pandemic made global demand for disinfectant soar, which was good news for the company. Unfortunately, the supply could not meet the demand. At that moment, the company posted record monthly production of 5 tons. By adopting digital technology, its monthly production increased by 10 times. This achievement lies in the collaboration with Samsung Electronics and the South Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS). The public support program designed by MSS helped link SMEs with conglomerates. Thanks to the collaboration, the NJ company could make a phenomenal transformation from manufacture to distribution. Now the company is expected to pave the way for even greater growth at the expense of digitalization.
