Selected as a '2024 Innovative Product Pilot Use Product' by the Public Procurement Service... 206 wearable robots, a total of 790 million won worth of innovative products will be supported by the Public Procurement Service and will begin field demonstration in earnest.

The innovative product pilot purchase project is a system in which a demanding organization receives support from the Public Procurement Service budget to use products developed by small and medium-sized enterprises through national R&D projects.

The developing organization can test the innovativeness of the prototype, and the production company can get great help in pioneering the initial market. Once the demonstration is completed, the demanding organization takes over the product from the Public Procurement Service, so it has the triple benefit of saving budget.

The Korea Forest Service plans to sign a business agreement for the pilot use of innovative products with the Public Procurement Service and production companies this month and distribute them first to the Gangwon and Yeongnam regional local forest offices, which are at high risk of large wildfires, from the second half of this year. The Korea Forest Service plans to intensively monitor the effects of improving muscle strength and muscle fatigue when wearing wearable robots for 206 people working in wildfire extinguishing sites and forestry workplaces that require high labor intensity.

Nam Seong-hyeon, head of the Korea Forest Service, said, "As it is the first time that it has been selected for a pilot purchase in the forestry field, we will promote thorough and multifaceted demonstrations to increase the field utilization of the prototype." He added, "We will strengthen research and development and public procurement support linkages so that small and medium-sized enterprises, venture companies, and innovative companies can become the cornerstone of solving pending issues in the forestry field."