"Towards a Global Semiconductor City"… Yongin City Joins International Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Association

The World's Largest Private Semiconductor Organization... Over 3,000 Member Companies
City: "Utilized as a Communication Channel to Attract Corporate Investment"

Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province has joined the world's largest private organization related to semiconductors. This is a strategic move to develop the 'L-shaped Semiconductor Belt' promoted by the city into a global semiconductor hub.

Yongin City announced on the 6th that it recently joined the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute (SEMI). It explained that Yongin is the first city or county in Korea to join SEMI.

SEMI is the largest private organization related to semiconductors, established in 1970 in the United States. It is headquartered in San Jose, California. More than 3,000 semiconductor-related companies worldwide are members, and in Korea, over 350 companies including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix participate as members.

Yongin City's membership in SEMI reflects its determination to develop the 'Yongin L-shaped Semiconductor Belt,' which encompasses Wonsam's 'Yongin Semiconductor Cluster,' Idong and Namsa's 'System Semiconductor National Industrial Complex,' and the 'Samsung Electronics Giheung Campus,' into a genuine global semiconductor hub. The city aims to collect necessary information for fostering the semiconductor industry and supporting related companies, actively grasp the trends of the global semiconductor industry, and establish response strategies.

SEMI provides its members with various activities such as the latest semiconductor technology and market information, education and mentoring programs for talent development, business consulting for market entry, and support for the growth of the semiconductor industry including international standardization.

The city plans to particularly utilize SEMI as a channel to attract investments from global semiconductor companies. This organization offers opportunities for advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology promotion and business consultations for related companies through 'SEMICON,' a global semiconductor exhibition held in seven countries worldwide.

Through joining SEMI, the city intends to introduce its semiconductor promotion policies and investment environment to member companies and induce semiconductor-related companies to invest in Yongin.

Mayor Lee Sang-il of Yongin said, "With SEMI membership, the status of Yongin as a 'semiconductor city' will rise even further," adding, "We will actively promote the competitiveness of Yongin's semiconductor ecosystem to attract investments from domestic and international companies."

At the forum of the Yongin City Public-Private Cooperation Committee held on the 15th, Lee Sang-il, mayor of Yongin City, is delivering a greeting.
[Photo by Yongin City]

Meanwhile, the city held a 'Public-Private Cooperation Forum' on the theme of 'Strategies to Become a Global Semiconductor Hub' at the city hall convention hall the day before.

About 100 people attended the event, including Mayor Lee, Kim Seok-jung, co-chairman of the Yongin City Public-Private Cooperation Committee, Jeong Ha-yong, member of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, Chu Sang-gu, chairman of the Yongin City Council of the National Unification Advisory Council, and members of the Yongin City Public-Private Cooperation Committee.

At the forum, Jeong Cheol Seo, adjunct professor at Korea Polytechnic University, served as the chair, while Bong-Young Yoo, professor of Materials Chemical Engineering at Hanyang University, and Sang-Jin Hong, professor of Semiconductor Engineering at Myongji University, participated as presenters to deliver presentations and engage in discussions.

Professor Bong-Young Yoo advised, "Yongin is a city capable of forming a semiconductor ecosystem centered on large corporations, and organic consultation through a council of citizens, government, and companies is necessary," adding, "For development into a global semiconductor hub, coexistence between residential and industrial areas is an essential requirement."

Professor Sang-Jin Hong suggested, "The semiconductor industry is continuously evolving with miniaturization advancing process and equipment technologies," and "To develop the semiconductor industry ecosystem, a paradigm shift aligned with changes in the world is necessary."