SPC Group to Invest 300 Billion Won in Smart Factory Focused on Worker Safety

SPC Group announced Wednesday it will invest 300 billion won ($220 million) to build a "Safety Smart Factory" in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province.

The new facility will be an innovative production center applying advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, automated robots, and IoT sensors, with worker safety as its top priority. It will operate as an integrated production center for the group, manufacturing bread, confectionery, and other food products.

SPC Group has been pursuing the new factory construction to strengthen industrial safety, following recommendations from the "SPC Change and Innovation Task Force" launched in July this year. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with North Chungcheong Province and Eumseong County on Wednesday for the smart factory project.

The site secured by SPC Group spans 182,866 square meters within the Eumseong "Human Smart Valley." This represents approximately 20% of the total industrial land in Human Smart Valley, making it the largest among tenant companies. The site is 2.5 times larger than SPL, SPC Group's flagship production facility, and will become the group's largest factory upon completion.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026 with completion targeted for 2028. The company said the factory will create approximately 1,000 jobs and contribute to the regional economy through partnerships with local businesses and use of local materials.

SPC Group plans to apply advanced smart technologies to minimize safety risks at the new facility. The company also intends to distribute production volumes from existing factories to the new plant, enhancing overall safety across the group's production system.

SPC Group aims to have the new factory designated as a "Lighthouse Factory," a recognition given annually by the World Economic Forum and global consulting firm McKinsey to facilities that serve as models of innovation through the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.

"The construction of the Safety Smart Factory is an important turning point for realizing SPC Group's change, innovation, and safety-centered management," said SPC Group Vice Chairman Huh Jin-soo. "We will build a factory with the highest level of safety systems to enhance trust among employees, customers, and various stakeholders."