Representatives from the government and the Korean semiconductor industry participate in a session 

to launch a project to develop proprietary technologies of next-generation semiconductor materials 

and components and to present the project at the El Tower in Yangjae-dong, southeastern Seoul, 

on July 24. They include Choi Tae-hyun, director general for materials and components 

industries at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy,; KEIT President Lee Ki-sub; and 

Yang Jun-cheol, vice chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association.(photos: KEIT) 

   The government and private sector plan to invest 25 billion won — evenly shouldering the costs — in their joint bid to collaborate in the development of original technologies designed to control the next-generation semiconductor market. 

The Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT) held a session to launch a project to develop proprietary technologies of next-generation semiconductor materials and components and to present the project at the El Tower in Yangjae-dong, southeastern Seoul, on July 24.

Among some 150 people on hand at the event were Choi Tae-hyun, director general for materials and components industries at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; KEIT President Lee Ki-sub; and Yang Jun-cheol, vice chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association.

The project calls for investing a combined 25 billion won over five years to research teams selected for the implementation of 12 research tasks. The investments will be evenly shouldered by the government and the private sector, which includes six Korean and foreign companies, including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and ASML. 

The project is designed to help Korea solidify its leadership as a semiconductor powerhouse by securing original technologies, which will serve as vantage points in the next-generation semiconductor market. 

Some 250 researchers from 32 academic research institutes will participate in the study of the research tasks and share research outcomes with semiconductor industry circles. 

KEIT President Lee said, “This project takes a new form in which many experts from the semiconductor field are involved in the diverse research for securing original technologies.” He continued that the successful implementation of the project will serve as an opportunity to upgrade the standing of the Korean semiconductor industry and that collaboration between industry and academic circles is badly needed.

Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial 

Technology President Lee Ki-sub

KOREAN EXPATRIATE SCIENTISTS’ ROLES 

KEIT President Lee stressed the significance of Korean expatriate scientists’ roles to shift the national paradigm to that of a first mover. 

Lee told a meeting of reporters on Aug. 12 that Korean expatriate scientists converged on domestic research institutes to lead the nation’s first science and technology development feat of the 1970s, and gifted brains who studied in foreign countries such as Jin Dae-je and Hwang Chang-kyu achieved the so-called semiconductor legend. He went on to say that if Korea wants to become a first mover, the country badly needs another round of contributions by Korean expatriate scientists. 

KEIT handles about 2 trillion won  or roughly 13 percent of the nation’s total government R&D outlays,.

KEIT strives for the maximization of research outcomes by capitalizing on Korean expatriate scientists’ advanced expertise and information. If KEIT and Korean companies work on research tasks from the big-picture perspective, Lee said, Korean expatriate scientists will be charged with offering consulting services and evaluations. Even Korean expatriate scientists would be commissioned with the development of new technologies. For instance, many Korean expatriate scientists are involved in such R&D activities like Prof. Kim Jin-sang, of the University of Michigan, who participates in the development of lenses for next-generation smartphones with Korean smartphone parts maker, LMS.  

Some 100 Korean expatriate scientists participated in the 2013 United States-Korean Conference that took place in the United States from Aug. 8-10 and showed much concern to the details, including the nature of the project and how to participate.