S. Korea to develop 100 advanced industry materials within 5 years

Seoul, Dec 19 (IANS) South Korea will seek to secure technologies for 100 advanced materials for the chip, biology, and other industries within the next five years, the science ministry said on Thursday, a move aimed at strengthening its own supply chains.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the government will support science research and development projects to independently develop 100 advanced materials, including 20 semiconductor-related materials, 23 battery materials, and 10 biomaterials, Yonhap news agency reported.

The government also has a 10-year plan to develop 100 materials for future technologies, such as artificial intelligence chips, quantum, robotics, and space, to secure a competitive edge against other countries in the industries.

The move comes as experts assess South Korea's technological capabilities in advanced materials remain at 84 per cent of the level of the United States and also lag behind those of China and Japan, the ministry explained.

"The advanced materials sector is a key driving factor that determines the country's capabilities in key strategic technology fields, such as semiconductors and secondary batteries," Science Minister Yoo Sang-im said.

"We will expand investment in materials technologies for the present and future to preemptively respond to any potential global supply chain crisis," he added.

Meanwhile, South Korea's industry ministry recently informed that the country has kicked off its first domestic production of filters using nanotechnology, paving the way for the self-supply of a critical product needed to produce semiconductors, Yonhap reported.

The production began at the factory of Synopex in Dongtan, 40 kilometers south of Seoul, with a capacity that is sufficient to meet the entire domestic demand, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

South Korea has been relying entirely on imports for the material, with annual demand estimated at 8,000 units or 100 billion won ($69.5 million), the ministry said.

The government allocated 12.3 billion won for the project in line with efforts to accelerate research projects aimed at supporting the materials, parts, and equipment industries and stabilizing supply chains.

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