Semiconductor, Secondary Battery, and Advanced Mobility Core Technology Roadmap Finalized

Government to Discuss National Strategic Technologies at Special Committee on the Afternoon of the 29th

The government has unveiled a roadmap for the development of national strategic technologies in three sectors: secondary batteries, semiconductors & displays, and advanced mobility.

On the afternoon of the 29th, the Ministry of Science and ICT held the 3rd meeting of the ‘National Strategic Technology Special Committee’ at the National Science and Technology Advisory Council’s main conference room in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, where it deliberated and approved the ‘Mission-Oriented Strategic Roadmap (I) for National Strategic Technologies ? Areas of Technological Hegemony Competition’ in the three sectors of secondary batteries, semiconductors & displays, and advanced mobility.

This roadmap presents focused investment directions for mission achievement and securing core technologies, along with strategies for fostering the strategic technology ecosystem, including talent development, international cooperation, and institutional improvements. The government plans to actively utilize the roadmap as a compass throughout the entire process of research and development policy, investment, and evaluation to achieve the proposed missions and goals. Among the 12 major sectors, the three fields of secondary batteries, semiconductors & displays, and advanced mobility, where competition for technological hegemony is intense, were prioritized for establishment.

For secondary batteries, the goal is to maximize the theoretical limit level of lithium-ion battery performance and secure next-generation technologies that are ultra-high performance, ultra-safe, and mineral self-reliant. Aiming to ‘maintain the status of a secondary battery technology powerhouse,’ detailed objectives were set for four key technologies: ▲ lithium-ion battery cells and materials, ▲ next-generation secondary batteries, ▲ secondary battery modules and systems, and ▲ reuse and recycling.

In particular, a challenging goal of achieving an energy density of 350Wh/kg at the theoretical limit level was set, with securing core materials such as high-nickel cathodes (nickel 90% or more) and silicon-based anodes (silicon 20% or more) as key missions. Regarding next-generation battery dominance, commercialization of lithium metal and semi-solid/solid-state batteries (400Wh/kg) for ultra-gap performance and ultra-safety will be pursued. To prepare for intensified competition in mineral procurement, investment expansion in core technologies for sodium-ion batteries (220Wh/kg or more), which replace lithium with sodium abundant in reserves, was also included. Ecosystem creation measures for secondary batteries include ▲ package support for global mineral procurement such as developing a core mineral supply map, ▲ advanced management of used batteries through collaboration with finished vehicle manufacturers, and ▲ strengthening open innovation including material and component verification by supply chain companies.

In semiconductors, the focus is on the AI era and low power/high efficiency. This is because minimizing the enormous power consumption expected with the full-scale advent of ultra-large AI will be a core challenge. Accordingly, the roadmap was set with six key technologies centered on the goal of ‘maintaining the No.1 position in memory + securing a new gap in AI semiconductors’: ▲ high-integration and resistor-based memory, ▲ high-performance and low-power AI semiconductors, ▲ advanced packaging, ▲ power semiconductors, ▲ high-performance sensors, and ▲ materials, components, and equipment. Instead of the traditional approach of simply ‘ultra-high performance,’ next-generation design technologies will be developed to achieve ‘low power and high efficiency’ optimized for AI computation, capable of delivering over 10 TFLOPS/W (currently about 2 TFLOPS/W; 1 TFLOPS equals one trillion operations per second) even under ultra-low power conditions. Demonstration and software development for the full-scale application of AI semiconductors in cloud and data centers are also key goals. Core missions and technologies optimized for AI implementation will be developed for each key technology, including magnetic memory (MRAM), resistor-based memory (PRAM), heterogeneous integration chiplet post-processing (packaging), compound power semiconductors, and power self-sufficient sensors for extreme environments. Ecosystem creation plans include ▲ fostering advanced talent from undergraduate levels with interdisciplinary inflow and strengthening support for specialized graduate schools by key technology, ▲ enhancing joint research and exchanges with global research institutes and core materials, components, and equipment companies, and ▲ establishing essential infrastructure such as power and water supply and research hubs.

For displays, the goal is to reclaim the No.1 global competitiveness by leading the next-generation market. To this end, three key technologies will be developed: ▲ inorganic light emission, ▲ flexible and stretchable (preform), and ▲ materials, components, and equipment. In particular, inorganic light-emitting displays aim for ultra-high performance (low power, high resolution, high brightness) by developing core technologies for ultra-small (micro) LEDs under 5 nanometers (nm), and high-speed, high-efficiency production technologies to secure price competitiveness, identified as the biggest bottleneck for early commercialization, are major development targets. Ecosystem creation measures include ▲ fostering high-level talent tailored to new industry sites through contract-based departments and support for basic and fundamental university research, and ▲ promoting private R&D and leading international standardization in new technologies and application fields such as microLED.

Advanced mobility aims to secure high-performance AI and security/safety standards and certifications for the commercialization of fully autonomous driving by 2027. With the goal of ‘achieving acceptability, stability, and eco-friendliness,’ three key technologies will be developed: ▲ autonomous driving systems, ▲ urban air mobility, and ▲ electric and hydrogen vehicles. Specifically, the autonomous driving system is a technology that related ministries have been promoting with the goal of commercializing fully autonomous driving (Level 4) by 2027. The main tasks include securing high-performance AI and computing technologies to complement the existing regulatory and infrastructure improvement approach, and preemptively securing standards and certifications related to security and safety that will determine the technological leadership in the global market after the transition to software-defined vehicles (SDV). To this end, tasks were set to ▲ establish software convergence talent for full-scale autonomous driving promotion and pilot training systems for urban air mobility commercialization, and ▲ proactively revise regulations and support demonstration activities.

At the special committee meeting, a confidential agenda titled ‘Strategy for Securing Talent in National Strategic Technologies through Research and Development’ was also presented and discussed to secure top-tier talent and improve qualitative capabilities, which will determine the success or failure of national strategic technologies. This agenda will be finalized after review by the National Science and Technology Advisory Council in the future.