Korea-US Semiconductor Industry Associations Collaborate to Strengthen Bilateral Supply Chains

Promotion of Business and Information Exchange

The Korea Semiconductor Industry Association co-hosted the "Korea-US Supply Chain and Industry Dialogue Semiconductor Forum" on the 27th (local time) in Washington D.C., USA, together with the Semiconductor Industry Association of the United States.

Participants of the Korea-US Supply Chain and Industry Dialogue Semiconductor Forum are taking a commemorative photo. /
[Photo by Korea Semiconductor Industry Association]

The forum, held to strengthen the semiconductor supply chain alliance between the two countries, was attended by Ahn Duk-geun, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy of Korea, and Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Representatives from domestic companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, as well as U.S. semiconductor companies including Intel and Qualcomm, were also present.

At the forum, the current status of challenges facing the semiconductor industry?such as ▲overcoming limits of technological innovation ▲securing excellent human resources ▲stabilizing the supply chain?was reviewed, and ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation to address these issues were discussed.

The semiconductor industry associations of both countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen semiconductor supply chain cooperation. This MOU includes an agreement to increase collaboration to promote semiconductor industry cooperation and reinforce the semiconductor supply chain between the two countries.

Specifically, it includes ▲promoting business and information exchange in promising technology fields (such as AI) between the industries of both countries ▲seeking opportunities for cooperation projects in research and development (R&D) and human resource training ▲efforts to strengthen the semiconductor supply chain ▲facilitating information sharing and networking on supply chains among government, industry, academia, and research sectors ▲and encouraging policies to create an environment conducive to innovation and investment by companies within the semiconductor ecosystems of both countries.

Kim Jeong-hoe, Vice Chairman of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, said, "In the global semiconductor supply chain, Korea has supplied memory chips, while the U.S. has provided advanced equipment, design, and software (SW), developing a complementary relationship. Going forward, both countries must continue efforts based on joint R&D, personnel exchange, and expanded investment to stabilize the global semiconductor industry supply chain and strengthen the ecosystem."

The two countries promised at this forum that their governments and industries will cooperate to achieve sustainable development of the semiconductor industry. They also announced plans to hold the Korea-US Semiconductor Cooperation Forum regularly to maintain close collaboration.

To support the entry of domestic system semiconductor companies into the U.S. market, the Semiconductor Association will establish an "AI Semiconductor Innovation Center" in San Jose, Silicon Valley, USA, which will begin full operation in early September. It plans to support the settlement of domestic fabless (semiconductor design) and design house, and intellectual property (IP) companies, as well as exchanges with local experts.