Pyeongtaek Designated as National Advanced Strategy Industry Specialized Complex for Semiconductors

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Joon-sung] Pyeongtaek announced on the 20th that it was approved for designation as a National Advanced Strategy Industry Specialized Complex in the semiconductor sector at the 3rd National Advanced Strategy Industry Committee meeting.

The National Advanced Strategy Industry Specialized Complex aims to intensively support three sectors—semiconductors, displays, and batteries—at the national level to achieve technological super-gap differentiation, with the purpose of designating comprehensive clusters encompassing infrastructure, R&D;, and workforce in the respective sectors.

Following the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's announcement of the call for applications for specialized complex designation in December last year, 21 local governments submitted applications across the semiconductor, display, and battery sectors. In particular, the semiconductor sector saw the highest competition for attraction, with 15 local governments applying.

In response, Pyeongtaek participated in the 'National Advanced Strategy Industry Specialized Complex Regional Promotion Strategy Presentation' held in May, where it explained that Pyeongtaek is the city that can deliver the fastest and most significant results if designated as a semiconductor specialized complex. Additionally, with KAIST's Pyeongtaek Campus being selected as a specialized graduate school for semiconductors in May, the city has emphasized that semiconductor research and development and workforce development can be carried out more vigorously in the region.

Going forward, Pyeongtaek plans to work together with Samsung Electronics and KAIST to complete the 'Pyeongtaek Semiconductor Specialized Complex' as an optimal semiconductor ecosystem where future semiconductor manufacturing and research capabilities are consolidated, at an accelerated pace.

With the designation of the specialized complex, the city plans to expand the region's semiconductor manufacturing capacity through Samsung Electronics' new FAB (semiconductor manufacturing line), which can increase floor area ratio by 1.4 times compared to the existing level, and will cultivate workforce through establishing KAIST's Semiconductor Research Center while conducting industry-academia collaborative research and demonstration projects.

Mayor Jung Jang-seon of Pyeongtaek stated, "I welcome Pyeongtaek's designation as a National Advanced Strategy Industry Specialized Complex. Based on the administrative experience gained so far in supporting the construction of Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek Campus and the establishment of KAIST's Pyeongtaek Campus, we will create a more robust semiconductor ecosystem and establish Pyeongtaek's status as the world's semiconductor capital."