From creating infrastructure to and strengthening competitiveness in the materials/components/equipment of the semiconductor industry t...
Gyeonggi Province’s semiconductor industry is going global.
Since 2022, the first year of Gyeonggi Province’s 8th popularly elected provincial administration, Gyeonggi Province has signed investment agreements with leading semiconductor companies from around the world while also accelerating the development of semiconductor industry infrastructure and related personnel. Here are the policies that Gyeonggi Province is actively pursuing to advance its position from the center of semiconductors in Korea to a global semiconductor mecca.
Gyeonggi Province’s efforts to develop semiconductor industry infrastructure.
Partners from industry/academia/research institutes are working together with Gyeonggi Province to strengthen the competitiveness of the material, component, and equipment sectors of the semiconductor industry.
To strengthen the competitiveness of Korea's semiconductor material, component, and equipment sectors, Gyeonggi Province set out to create testbeds that can be jointly utilized by industry, academia, and research stakeholders.
After Gyeonggi Province was selected for a related testbed construction project by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in April 2022, it formulated a plan to develop testbed-essential material, component, and equipment technologies in August of the same year.
By December 2024, the province plans to support the establishment of prototype development equipment as well as the technology development efforts of semiconductor material, component, and equipment companies.
When infrastructure for these testbeds are completed, Gyeonggi Province is expected to internalize the semiconductor supply chain and advance as a global semiconductor center.
[Infrastructure]
April 2022: Selected for the testbed construction project encompassing a specialized complex for materials, components, and equipment in the semiconductor industry
August 2022: Established a testbed construction plan for essential material, component, and equipment technologies in the semiconductor industry
April 2022 - December 2024: Established and commenced operation of an essential technology testbed
[Human Resource Training]
April-October 2022: Consultation with related organizations related to semiconductor training and setting up promotion plans
2023 to December 2025: Promoting a project to nurture experts in the semiconductor industry
Currently, the semiconductor industry in Korea suffers from an annual shortage of approximately 1,200 personnel. Of particular note, personnel shortages among small and medium-sized enterprises comprise a chronic problem. The shortage of such professionals soon leads to difficulties in in-house R&D and product manufacturing.
In response, Gyeonggi Province is supporting the cultivation of specialists in the semiconductor industry in order to strengthen long-term technological competitiveness while also stabilizing the personnel supply chain for small and medium-sized companies. This initiative, which commenced in January 2023, will foster specialists, strengthen the capabilities of existing personnel, and promote diverse support such as public engagement through to December 2025.
[Gyeonggi Province Attracts New Investments]
(2022)
July 6: Applied Materials (USA) R&D center
July 7: Onsemi (USA) next-generation non-memory power semiconductor high-tech research institute F
July 7: Combined investments of approximately KRW 2 trillion from global companies, including KRW 1.4 trillion from Onsemi (USA) and KRW 240 billion from Applied Materials (USA)
October 11: Made investment proposal to Paul Verhagen, CFO of ASMI (Netherlands)
November 1: Received 'Presidential Award' for successful investment attraction from innovative global companies
November 15: Made investment proposal to Carlos Monreal, CEO of UK Plastic Energy
November 16: Started construction of ASML (Netherlands) Hwaseong cluster
November 18: Realized new industrial ecosystem in northeastern Gyeonggi Province through investments from domestic and foreign technology companies amounting to KRW 2.7 trillion
November 24: Hosted investment-attraction roundtable with innovative global future growth companies, seeking to attract total investments of KRW 2.5 trillion
December 2: Communication with representatives of North American and European chambers of commerce in Korea to attract investment
(2023)
January 3: Attracted KRW 150 billion investment from Linde (Germany)
Through such efforts, not only was Gyeonggi Province able to attract the world's top 4 semiconductor equipment research institutes, but it also succeeded in securing total investments of KRW 4.5 trillion from global companies despite an unfavorable global economy. Gyeonggi Province visualizes the creation of a new semiconductor ecosystem through the attraction of foreign companies that can contribute to revitalizing the local economy, engage in cooperation with innovative small and medium-sized enterprises in the province, and strengthen the capabilities of its cities and counties to attract investments.
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