Heo Yeom, CEO of Silicon Meisters, stated, "Now is the time for Korea's fabless industry to undergo new changes. We need small volumes of chips with innovative ideas in new application fields, and fabless companies must play this role. Universities conduct a lot of preliminary research, so we need to create an environment where people can start businesses with ideas. Fabless companies will present technical exchange talks today—if there are good ideas, ask companies for help. We must build the ecosystem together."

Part 1 of the forum proceeded with keynote presentations. Lee Sun-hak, Senior Research Fellow at Hana Daewoo Securities, presented on "The Role of System Semiconductors in the Fourth Industrial Revolution," explaining the necessity of re-developing the fabless industry and the need to strengthen R&D capabilities in related industries through advanced post-process technology. He also explained that large enterprises should expand the scale of the domestic non-memory industry through M&A.

Lee Jong-hwan, professor of System Semiconductor Engineering at Sangmyung University, which accepted its first freshman class this year, stated, "The system semiconductor industry faces a shortage of over 500 personnel annually. By linking with fabless companies and design houses and conducting practice-oriented education, and through convergence between AI, IoT, and SW departments, we will work to cultivate creative talent."

Industry and Academia Exchange Technology and Share Cooperation Plans

Part 2 was held as a technology exchange meeting, divided into analog/power semiconductor fields and smart device/automotive fields. The analog/power semiconductor field included participation from Silicon Meisters, SiliconWorks, Dongwoon Anatech, Iron Devices, Dankook University, and University of Seoul. The smart device/automotive field featured ZINITIX, Silicon Hands, Samyoung S&C, KETI, Hanyang University, and Soongsil University.

Silicon Meisters, a company that manufactures PMICs, has developed products with embedded MCUs. Director Seo Han-su stated, "I believe the area we are working in has bright prospects. What we need is people. We are investing in schools and undertaking projects together to create an environment where students can take interest in the field and work with us," expressing that the company will develop into a specialized power analog company.

SiliconWorks, which possesses system semiconductor technology applied to various displays, also mentioned that the power semiconductor field has low manufacturing costs and enables product development with a small workforce, resulting in low barriers to entry, necessitating differentiated technology and emphasized the importance of cooperation with universities. Dongwoon Anatech introduced autofocus (AF) and optical image stabilization (OIS) IC technology, while Iron Devices presented smart power amplifier technology. Dankook University introduced ESD protection circuit design and high-efficiency DC/DC converter design technology for mobile applications, and University of Seoul explained analog semiconductor technology under development. All six companies and universities presented models where industry and academia could collaborate together.

Kim Gyeong-gyu, Executive Director of ZINITIX, stated, "Starting as an MCU manufacturer, we currently provide touch ICs for smartphones, home appliance groups, fintech product groups, and automobiles," introducing related cases. Jung Se-jin, CEO of Silicon Hands, presented ROIC technology for CMOS sensors, noting, "Recently, infrared sensor cameras are being considered as auxiliary means in medical and automotive applications," emphasizing the importance of sensors that detect even minute changes.

RF Field IP Technology Highlighted as IoT Demand Grows

In the automotive sector, Jo Hee-young, PD at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology Evaluation and Planning, presented trends in domestic and international electric vehicles, while Lee Sung-soo, professor at Soongsil University, presented on Intra-Vehicle Networking technology and component development. Jo Hee-young, PD, noted, "Competition in battery development for domestic and international electric vehicles is intense," pointing out that the domestic production ratio for electric vehicle components such as batteries, motors, and inverters is lower compared to foreign countries.

Meanwhile, the event also held "Research IP Discovering 2017" focusing on RF field IP, which has become increasingly important as IoT market demand has grown recently.

Professor Lee Sang-guk from KAIST presented high-sensitivity ultra-low-power transceiver technology for IoT applications, while Professor Shin Hyun-chul from Kwangwoon University presented RF transceiver and Fractional-N frequency synthesizer technology. Additionally, Professor Hwang In-chul from Kangwon National University introduced "advanced RF all-digital design and analog IP in the ultra-sub-micrometer era," and Professor Choi Jae-hyuk from UNIST presented ultra-low noise high-frequency clock generator technology, while Professor Lee Kang-yoon from Sungkyunkwan University discussed "sub-gigahertz low-power RF transceiver."