The government-led collaboration promises cooperation between the country's top three semiconductor companies and research institutions for advanced semiconductor research and technology commercialization.
On the 27th, the Ministry of Science and ICT signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and DB HiTek at the Korea Science and Technology Center to lead advanced semiconductor research and technology commercialization. This agreement aims to establish a public-private cooperation system to respond to the intensifying global semiconductor hegemony competition in the AI era and to strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic semiconductor industry.
The core of the agreement is the functional advancement of the 'MoaFab' platform. MoaFab is an integrated platform that connects six domestic semiconductor public fab institutions (Korea Nano Technology Institute, Korea Institute of Nano Technology, Nano Convergence Technology Institute, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, and Seoul National University Semiconductor Joint Research Center) to support researchers and companies in easily utilizing advanced equipment. It consolidates the national nanofab services, which were operated separately by each institution, into one online location to provide a one-stop service.
The three semiconductor companies plan to support 12-inch advanced process equipment through MoaFab and provide consulting related to semiconductor technology and fab operations. Additionally, experienced personnel from the three companies will participate in fab operations to enhance expertise, and efforts will be made to revitalize the semiconductor ecosystem through nurturing talented individuals and linking them to corporate recruitment.
Through this agreement, it is expected that accessibility to advanced research equipment via MoaFab will increase, contributing to enhancing the technological development capabilities of small and venture companies as well as university laboratories.
Minister Yoo Sang-im of the Ministry of Science and ICT stated, "To respond to the AI paradigm shift and semiconductor hegemony competition, it is important to consolidate public and private capabilities," adding, "Through MoaFab, we will provide semiconductor process and R&D facilities necessary for industry, academia, and research, and create a virtuous cycle of semiconductor technology commercialization where excellent research outcomes lead to companies."
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