When AI Meets Talent: Korea’s Autonomous Manufacturing Transformation Through SIMTOS 2026
SIMTOS 2026, the Korea (Seoul) International Machine Tool Show, was held from April 13 to April 17, 2026, for a total of five days. Now in its 21st edition, SIMTOS is Korea’s largest machine-tool trade show and the country’s leading event in terms of international exhibitor participation. Looking back at SIMTOS 2024, the show welcomed 1,300 exhibitors from 35 countries, with 6,170 booths—an all-time record in SIMTOS history. This year, SIMTOS 2026 featured 1,315 domestic and international exhibitors across 6,059 booths.
With the theme “AI Autonomous Manufacturing Meets Talent,” SIMTOS 2026 highlighted advanced production technologies and digital transformation. As the global AI wave accelerates, the organizer specially launched the “AI Factory Theme Pavilion” in Hall 7 of KINTEX Exhibition Center 2, where visitors could experience future manufacturing systems that integrate equipment, data, and artificial intelligence. According to the organizer, the five-day exhibition attracted more than 100,000 professional buyers from around the world.
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Observing the trends at this year’s show, Korea’s machine-tool industry is rapidly advancing from “digitalization” toward “autonomy.” In response to changes in the global labor structure and rising demand for high-end manufacturing, Korean manufacturers are integrating AI into the core of their equipment, enabling self-learning, real-time decision-making, and predictive maintenance. The AI Factory Theme Pavilion demonstrated a deep integration of Digital Twin technology and big-data analytics, putting into practice an autonomous manufacturing model that can evolve from stand-alone operations to lights-out, plant-wide machining. At the same time, Korea’s industrial ecosystem emphasizes the changing role of “talent”: technicians are shifting from traditional machine operators to managers and decision-makers of AI systems. This evolution of human–machine collaboration is a key driving force behind Korea’s push for autonomous manufacturing transformation amid global competition.
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Through the delegation organized for SIMTOS 2026, 11 Taiwanese exhibitors participated, including HIWIN, Kao Fong, Jing Jie, Da Jing, New Tiger, Yinglian, Xiang Yong, Jing Qin, He Gang, Yuan Jun International, and Ju Lun Xing. Exhibits covered CNC machining centers, high-speed 5-axis machining centers, reducers, gears, NC rotary tables, ball screws, linear guideways, quick clamps, indexing tables, dividing tables, chucks, couplings, vises, pumps, industrial brushes, grinding tools, and more. On the afternoon of April 14, Tseng Yun-shuang (Director) and Chiu Yu-chin (Secretary) from the Economic Division of the Taipei Representative Office in Korea, together with Wang Hsien-hui (Director) of TAITRA, visited the delegation area to learn about the market situation of Taiwanese machine tools and components in Korea, and to exchange industry views with exhibitors.
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The Taiwan Pavilion, organized by the Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders’ Association, was located in Hall 4 of KINTEX Exhibition Center 1 this year and participated in the “Smart Machinery Overseas Promotion Program” implemented by the Precision Machinery Research & Development Center (PMC). The association actively took part in events such as the Taiwan Pavilion press conference and product launch sessions, helping participating companies enhance brand exposure and visibility.
