KISTEP held the 148th Wednesday Forum on July 13 under the theme of "Industrial Development Strategy to Leap Forward as a Semiconductor Powerhouse - Public-Private Role Sharing and Cooperation" to discuss measures to promote cooperation in the semiconductor industry to create and strengthen a sustainable semiconductor ecosystem.

Byung-Seon Jeong, president of KISTEP, said, "As the importance of semiconductors as a national strategic technology is increasing in terms of industry and national security, I hope that the implications discovered through this forum will help Korea to leap forward as a semiconductor powerhouse."

△Byung-Seon Jeong, President of KISTEP

In the presentation, Dr. Jun Jin Kong, an honorary president of The Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers (IEIE), examined the current state of the semiconductor industry in Korea and suggested the industry-academic-research-government cooperation plan by dividing the semiconductor industry ecosystem into a value chain perspective related to semiconductor manufacturing and a technology/human resources perspective required for semiconductor development.

First, in terms of value chain cooperation, he argued that the government should provide policies and funds to maintain the division of labor and cooperation between companies. He also pointed out that companies should diversify their supply chains and improve their development and production capabilities.

△Dr. Jun Jin Kong, Honorary President of IEIE

In addition, Dr. Kong said, "For the continuous growth of the semiconductor industry, fostering future talents is more important than anything else." Then he suggested ▲ strengthening primary education, ▲ fostering advanced human resources, ▲ sharing roles by universities, and ▲ creating an environment to involve private experts.

Dr. Youngsoo Ryu, Director General, Office of National R&D Coordination of KISTEP, led the panel discussion with the participation of Dr. Kwang June Sohn, TL of SK Hynix, Prof. Hyuk-Jae Lee, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University, Dr. Dongsun Kim, Vice President of Semiconductors & Displays R&D Division of KETI, and Byung-Doo Yoo, Director of System Semiconductor Office of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association (KSIA).

△Dr. Kwang June Sohn, TL (Technical Leader), CIS Planning, SK Hynix

Dr. Kwang June Sohn, TL (Technical Leader), suggested redefining the semiconductor industry and setting the direction for human resource training, along with a plan to designate a specific institution to operate an education program. In addition, he argued that government-level support, such as tax incentives and labor cost support for companies specialized in the semiconductor field, is needed. He added that it is necessary to establish a virtuous cycle ecosystem for technology transfers from large firms to SMEs.

 △Prof. Hyuk-Jae Lee, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, SNU

Professor Hyuk-Jae Lee suggested various ways to nurture semiconductor experts, such as establishing and integrating semiconductor department in metropolitan and regional universities, establishing semiconductor tracks within existing departments, and emphasizing short-term vocational training. He also emphasized the importance of support for nurturing professors in the semiconductor field.

 △Dr. Dongsun Kim, Vice President of Semiconductors & Displays R&D Division of KETI

Dr. Dongsun Kim, Vice President, stated that various cooperative systems are needed to nurture professional human resources since the semiconductor industry is in a transition period requiring many human resources. Also, he emphasized that it is necessary to promote private-led R&D through mission-oriented policies to strengthen competitiveness in the semiconductor field.

 △Byung-Doo Yoo, Director of System Semiconductor Office of KSIA

Director Byung-Doo Yoo stated that it is necessary to consider polices for public funding to support semiconductor firms, and he emphasized the importance of establishing cooperative relationships between universities, research institutes, and companies. He also argued that effective R&D investment and infrastructure establishment would only be possible when the government presents a semiconductor roadmap at the national level.