Daejeon City to Invest 15.1 Billion Won in Building Integrated Flexible Production Process Based on Additive Manufacturing

Selected for MOTIE Project, Securing 10 Billion Won in National Funding
Boosting Competitiveness of Root Companies and Strategic Industries Such as Aerospace

Daejeon City has been selected for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's 'Additive Manufacturing-Based Customized Flexible Production In-line Shared Factory Construction Project' competition. / Daejeon City

Daejeon City announced that it has been selected for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's 'Additive Manufacturing-Based Customized Flexible Production In-line Shared Factory Construction Project' competition, securing 10 billion won in national funding.

This large-scale project will invest a total of 15.1 billion won over five years until 2029 to establish an integrated flexible production process based on additive manufacturing (an in-line manufacturing shared platform) in the region.

The project will be led by Daejeon Technopark, with participation from the Korea Conformity Laboratories, the Industry-Academia Cooperation Foundation of Hanbat National University, and the Korea Electronics Technology Institute.

Daejeon Technopark will oversee the overall operation of the shared factory and the integrated additive manufacturing-post-processing process. The Korea Conformity Laboratories will be responsible for parts testing and reliability verification. Hanbat National University will handle design specialized for additive manufacturing and process optimization. The Korea Electronics Technology Institute will be in charge of designing and building an efficient in-line manufacturing system.

This year, in order to establish the platform foundation, the plan is to secure core testing equipment such as powder removal devices and particle size analyzers. In 2026, a meter-class PBF metal 3D printer and large-scale surface treatment equipment will be introduced to lay the groundwork for large part production. Starting in 2027, the project will implement real-time monitoring of additive manufacturing processes and complete a reliability evaluation system, thereby beginning full-scale support for companies, including prototype production.

Additive manufacturing is a technology that creates three-dimensional products and parts by stacking layers of plastic, metal, or ceramic materials using a heat source. It enables the precise and rapid production of complex parts and maximizes design flexibility, making it a focus of attention in recent years, especially with the rise of 3D printers.

Daejeon City has supported the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry, including the root industry, by utilizing additive manufacturing technology. However, the city has faced limitations in advancing productivity and quality due to a lack of precision post-processing and testing and evaluation infrastructure.

The city plans to fundamentally enhance manufacturing competitiveness by establishing an integrated production system in Korea that links additive manufacturing, post-processing, and testing and evaluation through this project.

This initiative is also expected to greatly benefit local root companies. The advanced production environment based on additive manufacturing will be combined with traditional root technologies such as welding, casting, and mold-making to drive improvements in quality and productivity. By enabling joint use of advanced production equipment, including in-line production systems and post-processing devices, the project will provide a foundation for small and medium-sized manufacturing companies that find it difficult to acquire their own facilities to easily access advanced processes.

Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon, stated, "By securing 10 billion won in national funding, we have laid the cornerstone for opening the future of the local manufacturing industry." He added, "Together with the Daejeon Advanced Root Industry Council, which represents the region's 1,946 root companies, we will achieve tangible results in the digital transformation of local manufacturing, fostering strategic industries, and creating youth jobs."