[Interview] "A smart farm that spends 1 billion won to earn 100 million won is fake"... FIRMMIT CEO Park Seon-gi on "economic viability"

"We need to let go of fantasies about smart farms. If a 200,000-won device can solve problems in the field, rather than an AI camera or drone costing tens of millions of won, that is the right answer for farmers. A smart farm that invests 1 billion won to earn 100 million won is economically difficult to sustain. A model with a high return on investment (ROI)—one that invests 100 million won and generates 100 million won in sales—must take root in the field."

In the AgTech market, which can easily be dressed up in cutting-edge technology, Park Seon-gi, CEO of the comprehensive smart agriculture solutions company "FIRMMIT," puts "on-site economic viability" ahead of technology itself as the top priority.

Founded in 2017, FIRMMIT is an integrated solutions company that covers the entire process of producing high-quality strawberries, from seed supply to greenhouse facilities, ICT control, cultivation consulting, agricultural materials and equipment, and distribution and processing. According to the company, FIRMMIT started with just 3 million won, recorded 40 billion won in sales last year, and is on track to reach 50 billion won this year. We met CEO Park to hear about the path he has taken and where he is headed.

A startup born from improving irrational farm equipment structures
Before founding FIRMMIT, Park was an engineer working in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). After leaving his job, he returned to farming in Pandae-ri, Jijeong-myeon, Wonju, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, where he farmed firsthand for one to two years. During his life as a returning farmer, he experienced firsthand the shortage of specialists who could repair piping and greenhouse facilities, and the fact that many farms could not receive proper repairs because of high labor costs.

As he helped village residents repair equipment such as exhaust fans and circulation fans in vinyl greenhouses, he gradually came to focus more on improving farm facilities than on farming itself. In the process, he discovered the problem that prices for agricultural facilities were set unreasonably high despite not involving advanced technology, and he set out to launch a smart farm business to correct this himself.

The business, based on his technical experience as an engineer, farming experience, and knowledge of pests and diseases gained in the field, grew by solving challenges related to crop physiology and energy one by one. Park emphasized, "Rather than pursuing grand goals, we have grown step by step by fixing problems in the field, and technology must be an honest tool that helps farmers actually generate profits."

A water-cooled LED system that breaks the vicious energy cycle
The key problem FIRMMIT focused on at smart farm sites is "energy efficiency" inside greenhouses. Conventional air-cooled LED lighting releases generated heat as is, raising the temperature inside the greenhouse and creating a "vicious cycle of energy waste" in which large cooling equipment must be operated excessively to cool it down.

FIRMMIT overcame this limitation with a "water-cooled LED system" in which coolant circulates inside the lighting to directly absorb and discharge heat. According to the company's own verification results, the water-cooled technology fundamentally suppressed temperature increases inside the greenhouse, reducing electricity costs by 38% compared with existing systems, while also extending lighting life by keeping LED modules at an appropriate temperature.

Strawberries require 11 stages of advanced, difficult technology
Korean strawberries are a crop with strong competitiveness in the global market. If typical leafy vegetable cultivation consists of about four stages, strawberries require as many as 11 stages of high-level techniques, including crown management, thinning leaves and flowers, and precise nutrient solution control. Because the entry barrier is high, it is favorable for leading companies to maintain their technological gap.

According to Statistics Korea and others, domestic annual strawberry production is about 150,000 tons, and strawberries are considered among the top income-generating crops among vegetables. The industry estimates the domestic strawberry market at around 1.5 trillion won, and the growth potential becomes even greater if expanded into the global market.

Organizational management and technology development competing on efficiency
To overcome the limitations of a startup with a broad business scope, Park has made "division of roles" and "autonomy" the core principles of organizational management. He groups veteran experts with more than 30 years of service in public agricultural posts together with young AI and IT engineers to create synergy between real-world growth data and advanced technology, and he is currently operating more than 20 major projects.

He also guards against excessive cost input in technology development. For issues such as humidity control and air circulation inside greenhouses, proven solutions already exist in industrial settings such as semiconductor factories. Park explained, "Applying proven industrial technologies to fit agricultural sites is a realistic secret to reducing development costs and time."

The "World FIRMMIT Strawberry Center" aims for global results
FIRMMIT is going a step further by promoting the creation of the "World FIRMMIT Strawberry Center." The goal is to create a space where foreign buyers do not simply look around and leave, but where actual business results are produced. The plan is to build a vertical farm and nursery covering 15,000 pyeong (about 49,600 square meters), conduct intensive practice-oriented training for prospective farmers, and establish a platform for joint entry into overseas markets in package form with leading companies in related fields. The company has set a target of more than 20 billion won in annual sales from the center alone.

"You must jump into the field outside the warm greenhouse"
Park also did not forget his advice for young farmers. He said, "Many young farmers try to learn farming only in the limited environment of a greenhouse, but in the actual field there are often no greenhouses, and they frequently run into the wall of high initial investment costs." He added, "Do not settle for a warm environment; you must jump directly into the field where you can learn real distribution and develop a sense for cost reduction," and continued, "Agriculture is a market where diligence combined with an efficient system can honestly raise income, so I hope you focus on practical profitability and economic viability rather than flashy technology."