Sales of 56 Billion KRW, Private Investment of 74 Billion KRW
Achieving Economic Outcomes Including 104 New Jobs
The Korea Display Industry Association announced on the 9th that it will showcase the research and development achievements of the 'Display Industry Materials, Components, and Equipment Cooperation Group (hereinafter referred to as the SoBujang Cooperation Group),' supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and exclusively managed by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, at the Korea Display Industry Exhibition (K-Display 2023) starting on the 16th.
A total of 47 research and development (R&D) projects supported by the SoBujang Cooperation Group have achieved economic effects such as approximately 56 billion KRW in sales performance, 74 billion KRW in private investment, 102 patent applications and registrations, and the creation of 104 jobs since the project began in 2020.
Display Materials and Components Cooperation Group Participating Organizations Performance Exchange Meeting Site. [Photo by Display Industry Association]
This R&D achievement promotion hall is composed of eight excellent achievement projects’ prototypes obtained through task execution so far, as well as the introduction of the progress and achievements of the R&D projects supported by the cooperation group.
The SoBujang Cooperation Group was launched in 2020 to support various commercialization-related activities such as operating a demand-supply company council, promoting to demand companies, facilitating technology exchange, and providing information to increase the commercialization success rate of display SoBujang R&D projects. This is the first integrated performance exhibition with the supported projects.
This exhibition will showcase new technologies aimed at securing future market dominance, including domestic production technologies for items with over 80% overseas dependence due to technical difficulties despite being key components determining the performance of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), as well as innovative SoBujang technologies applied to vehicles and smart devices.
Core materials and component technologies for supply chain stabilization will be unveiled, including the domestically produced FMM manufacturing technology for 8.5G OLEDs (Poongwon Precision), functional films with high flexibility and durability for foldable displays (Daesang ST), ultra-thin tempered glass technology (Dowoo Insys), and metal alloy targets for display sputtering (EML), all of which are currently fully imported from Japan.
Additionally, applied technologies for next-generation display market dominance will be introduced, such as optical lens modules applicable to various fields including mobile and vehicle cameras (KS Optics), mini LED modules for indoor and outdoor signage (Changseong Sheet), RGB stacked micro LED light sources for high-resolution implementation in smartwatches and XR devices (Point Engineering), and high-hardness, high-transmittance films for automotive interior and exterior materials (iComponent).
Alongside this, a 'Display Equipment-Parts 1:1 Technology Consultation Meeting' will be held during the K-Display exhibition period to stabilize the supply chain in the domestic parts sector, which has a significantly lower localization rate compared to display materials and equipment. Following last year, 80 representatives from 41 equipment and parts companies, including SEMES, Wonik IPS, Mirae Company, and Iruja, will attend to introduce the products and technological capabilities of parts companies to equipment companies’ purchasing technology consultants.
Lee Dong-wook, Vice Chairman of the Korea Display Industry Association, stated, "Concerns about the global supply chain ecosystem and value chain continue due to technological competition between the U.S. and China and the Ukraine war. We are promoting various demand-linked activities such as purchasing consultation meetings and equipment-parts councils so that the development achievements of SoBujang companies can lead to tangible commercialization results, aiming to increase the current 65% localization rate of display SoBujang to 80% by 2027."
He added, "As global cooperation on research that will change our lives was emphasized at the 'World Korean Scientists and Engineers Convention' last July, we plan to continuously promote global technological cooperation that can strengthen the competitiveness of domestic SoBujang companies through convergence with advanced technologies from the U.S., Japan, the EU, and others."
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