Visit to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to Request Designation of Graphene as a National Advanced Strategic Technology
Full-Fledged Discussions Begin with the Ministry on National-Level Fostering and Protection of Graphene
On July 23, Pohang City visited the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to request that graphene be designated as a "national advanced strategic technology."
On the 23rd, Pohang City visited the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to request that graphene be designated as a "national advanced strategic technology." Photo by Pohang City
Graphene, which has a honeycomb structure made of carbon, conducts electricity more than 100 times better than copper and allows electrons to move more than 100 times faster than silicon, which is used in semiconductors. It is attracting attention in a wide range of application industries, including renewable energy, electric vehicle batteries, quantum computers, and bio new drugs.
On this day, Pohang City met with officials from the Textile Carbon Nano Division of the Ministry to explain the region's potential in the graphene industry and requested active cooperation for strategic nurturing and protection, including designation as a national advanced strategic technology.
This request is a follow-up measure to Pohang City's visit to the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) in March and marks the beginning of direct discussions with the relevant ministry. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy designates national advanced strategic technologies based on criteria such as the innovativeness and difficulty of the technology, its ripple effect on related industries, contribution to supply chain stability and economic security, and its effect on revitalizing the national economy, in accordance with the National Advanced Strategic Industry Act.
If designated as a national advanced strategic technology, comprehensive administrative benefits are applied, including investment support and workforce training, technology advancement, regulatory improvements, financial and tax support, and designation of specialized complexes.
The city recognized the industrial potential and strategic importance of graphene early on and has proactively worked to establish an ecosystem.
In 2021, an "Agreement for the Establishment of Pohang Graphene Valley" was signed with participation from industry, academia, research institutes, and government, laying the foundation for cooperation. In 2022, the "Pohang Graphene Forum" was held, inviting Nobel Physics Prize laureate Konstantin Novoselov, to strengthen the global network.
In addition, Pohang has completed studies such as the "Establishment of Graphene Valley Strategy" and the "Establishment of Graphene Industry Promotion Strategy," finalizing a differentiated development roadmap unique to the city.
In particular, Graphene Square, a company that possesses the world's first technology for mass production of graphene using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), began construction of a mass production plant in the Pohang Blue Valley Industrial Complex in June last year, with completion scheduled for October this year. Once the plant is fully operational, it plans to produce 200,000 square meters of CVD graphene film annually.
With the concentration of key companies and active investment in technology, the city is working to establish a strategic zone called "Pohang Graphene Valley" by securing industrialization hubs such as the Graphene Evaluation Support Center, presenting a vision to develop Pohang into a global hub for the graphene industry.
Furthermore, Pohang boasts a world-class R&D infrastructure, including POSTECH, the 3rd and 4th generation synchrotron radiation accelerators, the Nano Convergence Technology Institute, the Max Planck Korea/POSTECH Research Initiative, and the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics. The city also has an innovative ecosystem that connects startups and technology commercialization, including Pohang Technopark, Change Up Ground, and the Apple Manufacturing R&D Support Center.
Seo Hyunjun, Director of the Advanced Battery Industry Division, stated, "We will focus our administrative capabilities on restructuring Pohang's future industrial base with graphene and establishing the city as a global leader in graphene," adding, "We will do our utmost to ensure that Pohang City's proactive efforts to foster the graphene industry lead to tangible results through effective policy implementation."
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