Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy approves five supply-chain models

Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Thursday it had approved new collaboration models for the materials, parts and equipment sector, committing 91 billion won ($64.1 million) in R&D support over five years to promote self-reliance in strategic technologies.

The five projects cover next-generation glass package substrates, a 1,000W EUV pellicle, a factory-tailored mobility platform, a domestic SoC for vehicle infotainment, and high-performance porous carbon for energy use.

The programme links demand companies with suppliers, combining R&D funding with regulatory exemptions, including a fast-track for chemical permits, as well as financial and tax support and demonstration testing. This year, the ministry expanded the framework beyond general models to include ecosystem-completion projects led by anchor companies and region-led projects focused on cluster cooperation.

Moon Shin-hak, vice minister of trade, industry and energy, said, "We will continue to cultivate companies in the sector that are resilient amid the reshaping of global supply chains, and strengthen the sector's fundamental competitiveness through models that reflect varied collaboration needs among demand companies and suppliers."

The ministry chose Hanwha Ocean, Sunic System, EO Technics, EcoPro BM and Doosan Electronics Business for the third group of its Super Eul project, an R&D programme intended to help companies develop world-leading technologies. It plans to foster 15 companies as key global supply-chain businesses by 2030.

Their projects include submarine fuel-cell equipment, AI-based OLED deposition equipment, ultrafast laser heat-treatment systems, sulfide solid electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries, and low-loss materials and antenna modules for satellite communications. Each can receive 20 billion won ($14.1 million) in R&D backing over at least seven years.

The ministry also set a 2026 implementation plan that calls for a strategic technology map by the second half of the year, a reorganization of its current 200 core strategic technologies, expanded AI- and digital-based demonstration and commercialization support, and the selection of a third group of specialized materials, parts and equipment complexes by year-end.