Mecaro Selected as One of the 'Top 100 Small and Medium-sized Materials, Parts, and Equipment Companies' by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] Mekaro, a specialized manufacturer of semiconductor parts and materials, announced on the 28th that it has been finally selected as one of the ‘Top 100 Small and Medium Enterprises in Materials, Parts, and Equipment’ (hereinafter ‘SoBuJang Top 100’) organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

The SoBuJang Top 100 is a project focused on nurturing specialized small and medium enterprises in materials, parts, and equipment to respond to the rapidly changing global value chain, triggered by last year’s Japanese export regulations and the recent spread of COVID-19. In the first round last year, 54 companies were selected, and this year, 46 companies were additionally selected in the second round. The competition rate for the second round was 17.3 to 1, which is considerably high compared to the average competition rate of 4 to 1 for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ research and development (R&D) projects.

With this selection, Mekaro will receive up to 2 billion KRW in R&D funding over the next five years, along with support in recruiting excellent talent, finance, and investment sectors, receiving benefits totaling up to 18.2 billion KRW throughout the entire process from technology development to commercialization.

The company obtained a patent for the high-k deposition material ‘ZM40’ in 2013 based on proprietary technology that does not infringe on overseas companies’ patents, and successfully developed and mass-produced the dielectric proprietary technology for the first time in Korea, winning the ‘Chungmugong Award,’ a patent technology award, in 2018.

In this ‘SoBuJang Top 100’ project, Mekaro was evaluated to have demonstrated differentiated corporate capabilities in developing high-k materials for ALD processes required for next-generation semiconductors, transparent management methods, corporate culture, and social contribution activities.

A Mekaro official stated, “Following our selection as the lead company for the development of ‘Next-Generation Intelligent Semiconductors’ in April, being selected for the ‘SoBuJang Top 100’ is the result of continuous dedication and investment in technology research and development over many years. We expect this to be an important driving force for achieving our mid- to long-term goals and to enable rapid technological innovation and commercialization.”

Meanwhile, celebrating its 20th anniversary, Mekaro plans to continue its efforts in R&D investment and development to not only localize core materials in the semiconductor materials and parts sector but also to leap forward as an ‘advanced materials company.’