LG CNS is entering the insect smart factory farm business, using AI technology to raise insects. (Photo courtesy of LG CNS)
CHUNCHEON & SEOUL, July 16 (Korea Bizwire) — LG CNS, the digital transformation arm of LG Group, is stepping into the burgeoning insect industry with plans to construct a cutting-edge smart insect farm in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, aimed at automating and digitizing the mass production of edible insects such as mealworms.
The initiative marks the company’s expansion of its AI-based manufacturing expertise into climate tech and sustainable agriculture.
The smart farm will be a centerpiece of Korea’s first AI-based insect industry complex, which broke ground on July 16. Backed by ₩20 billion ($14 million) in public funding, the facility will include an AI-driven insect production factory, 33 rental smart farms for young farmers, and a convergence center to support insect-based startups.
LG CNS will deploy its core Manufacturing AI Transformation (AX) technologies to automate the full insect farming cycle, including feeding, environmental control, and quality screening. Its system will collect real-time data across all processes, enabling predictive operation and optimal growth conditions.
The AI will also monitor insect color and movement to detect disease or spoilage, improving yields and reducing labor demands—a longstanding bottleneck in the insect industry.
When completed by the end of the year, the farm is expected to produce 700 tons of mealworms annually. This would significantly increase Korea’s current output of 300 tons, with a target of reaching 1,000 tons through continued innovation and expansion.
Gangwon Governor Kim Jin-tae hailed insects as the “core of future food tech,” with applications ranging from human consumption to eco-friendly plastics and aquaculture feed.
LG CNS Vice President Kim Hong-geun added that the company aims to establish the farm as a “lighthouse factory” for Korea’s insect industry and a standard-bearer for global smart farming.
The initiative follows LG CNS’s earlier success with an AI-powered unmanned agricultural complex in Naju, South Jeolla Province, and represents a new phase in Korea’s push to lead in sustainable agri-tech.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
