Pohang City to Establish Nano New Material Specialized Complex... Laying the Foundation for Innovation

Briefing on the Initiative to Establish a Graphene Industry Development Strategy

Selection of Specialized Complex, Leap Toward Global Nano New Material Hub

Pohang City held a progress report meeting on the 'Establishment of Strategies for Fostering the Graphene Industry in Pohang' at the Yeonoseo Room of City Hall on the 14th.

On the 14th, Pohang City held a progress briefing session for the project to establish a 'Pohang Graphene Industry Promotion Strategy' at City Hall.

The meeting was attended by more than ten participants, including local graphene and nano new material industry professionals such as Graphene Square, as well as representatives from research institutes like the Nano Convergence Technology Institute and Pohang Technopark.

Graphene, known for its outstanding electrical conductivity and high strength, is being spotlighted as a next-generation material that will lead the future. It is attracting attention across various application industries such as renewable energy, electric vehicle batteries, quantum computers, and bio-pharmaceuticals.

Pohang City plans to actively foster nano new materials by utilizing the physicochemical properties of graphene, thereby creating synergy by linking graphene-based new materials to the region's future growth industries such as secondary batteries, bio-pharmaceutical development, and hydrogen fuel cells.

Through this project, the city intends to take full-scale steps to foster nano new materials, including proposing the designation of graphene, known as the 'dream nano material', as a national advanced strategic technology. Pohang has also expressed a strong commitment to being selected as a 'Pohang Nano New Material Specialized Complex'.

Pohang City identified graphene early on as an advanced new material to lead the future and, in 2021, signed business agreements with research institutes such as Graphene Square and POSTECH to create the 'Pohang Graphene Valley'.

Additionally, last year, the city carried out a project for the 'Strategy for Creating Pohang Graphene Valley', and, based on collaboration among local industries, academia, research, and government, is proactively preparing for the successful commercialization of graphene technology and securing a lead in the global graphene market.

The city plans to make every effort to secure an additional designation as a 'Nano New Material Specialized Complex' by linking it with other national advanced strategic industries, such as the already designated secondary battery and bio-specialized complexes and the currently promoted hydrogen-specialized complex.

Seo Hyunjun, Head of the Battery Advanced Industry Division, said, "Graphene is an advanced new material with infinite potential to radically transform our lives," and added, "We will focus our administrative efforts on actively fostering fields such as graphene and other nano new materials so that Pohang can become a global leader in the graphene industry."