This year, a strategic testbed will be established to strengthen the international (global) supply chain for key materials, components, and equipment, including automotive semiconductors, flexible displays, and electric vehicles, at a cost of KRW 25 billion (KRW 70 billion over four years, based on government funding).

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Minister Lee Chang-yang) announced on the 17th that it will announce seven new projects for the '2023 Materials, Components, and Equipment Core Strategic Technology Support Infrastructure Construction Project.'

The Materials, Components, and Equipment Core Strategic Technology Support Infrastructure Establishment Project is a project that supports the commercialization of strategic technologies of materials, components, and equipment companies by establishing research facilities and equipment that are difficult for companies to secure on their own in non-profit organizations.

The project being promoted this time, in accordance with the 'New Government Materials, Components, and Equipment Industry Policy Direction' announced last year, will support reliability testing methods and infrastructure establishment to support technological development of automotive semiconductors, flexible displays, electric vehicle power generation devices, intelligent factory modules, ultra-high temperature and high strength metal materials, high-functionality plastic materials, and power conversion components by adding future high-tech industries.

A total of 9 types and 9 major tasks are being carried out to develop core reliability technologies and establish a foundation for strengthening the automotive semiconductor supply chain.(KRW 4.3 billion) will be invested in research facilities and equipment, and reliability elements and core technologies will be developed to complete the full-cycle support system.

The project to establish a reliability-enhancing technology foundation to strengthen the flexible display supply chain will involve establishing a total of 16 types of research facilities and equipment (worth 5 billion won) and completing a full-cycle support system through the development of reliability element technologies, thereby maintaining a technological lead.

The project to develop reliability testing methods and establish a foundation for stabilizing the supply chain of electric vehicle power generation and transmission devices will involve the construction of nine types of nine research facilities and equipment (KRW 7.7 billion) and the development of reliability element technologies utilizing these facilities and equipment, thereby supporting the industrial transformation of existing internal combustion engine parts/materials companies.

The development of reliability testing methods and infrastructure for strengthening the supply chain of transport modules for smart factory configurations will involve the construction of 16 types of 16 research facilities and equipment (KRW 6.5 billion) and the development of reliability element technologies to address the aging problem and promote efficiency in on-site productivity.

The project to strengthen the supply chain for ultra-high-temperature, high-strength, and highly corrosion-resistant metal materials and establish a reliability assessment foundation will complete the full-cycle support system by constructing three types of five research facilities and equipment (KRW 4.8 billion) and developing a safety and reliability assessment method for metal materials under ultra-high-temperature exposure conditions.

The development and establishment of a foundation for reliability element technology for high-functionality plastic materials will involve the construction of 24 research facilities and equipment (KRW 6 billion) of 18 types, the development of test and analysis methods for various chemical materials, and the completion of a reliability technology support system including the analysis of new failure mechanisms.

In relation to the development of core reliability technologies and infrastructure to strengthen the power conversion component supply chain, a total of 12 types of research facilities and equipment (worth 5 billion won) will be built, and reliability element technologies and core technologies will be developed to complete the full-cycle support system.

Since 2019, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has been conducting a material, component and equipment testBy investing KRW 257 billion in the steam power plant reinforcement project, 423 types of jointly utilized equipment supporting 100 key strategic technologies were introduced. Furthermore, 77 reliability testing methods were developed, 121 evaluation criteria were established, and 6 international standards were developed, resulting in 7,768 corporate support outcomes in 2022.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has decided to recruit implementing agencies for one month starting this month, conduct evaluations and selections, and then begin full-scale implementation in September.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, “Through this, we will create an ecosystem that quickly and effectively supports material, component, and equipment companies, thereby promoting international (global) supply chain response and strengthening the competitiveness of the material, component, and equipment industries.”