'Launch of the "SobuJang Convergence Innovation Support Group": Strengthening Corporate Competitiveness by Utilizing Public Research Resources'

Sung Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy./Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The 'SoBuJang Convergence Innovation Support Group,' consisting of 32 public research institutions aiming to provide technical support to materials, parts, and equipment companies, officially launched on the 7th.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held the launch ceremony of the Convergence Innovation Support Group at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, attended by Minister Sung Yun-mo, heads of representative public research institutions, and Chung Young-woon, President of Hyundai Motor Company.

The Convergence Innovation Support Group is composed of government-funded research institutes, specialized research institutions, and specialized production technology research centers that have high demand for support from SoBuJang companies. Considering corporate accessibility, Seok Young-cheol, President of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, was appointed as the head of the group.

Within the support group, an operating committee consisting of participating institution heads as members will be established, along with a corporate support desk to connect companies' technical support needs with support services and to facilitate cooperation activities among participating institutions.

With the launch of the support group, SoBuJang companies are expected to more easily utilize research resources held by public institutions, such as approximately 11,000 researchers and 26,000 testing devices.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to invest about 200 billion KRW this year, including 139.4 billion KRW for building testbed equipment, 20 billion KRW for reliability utilization, and 40 billion KRW for mass production evaluation, to ensure that technological development achievements for 100 core items lead to actual mass production.

Minister Sung said, "This is an important situation to proactively respond to international supply chain instability caused by Japan's export regulations and the global spread of the coronavirus," and urged, "Please make the Convergence Innovation Support Group a model case that enhances the competitiveness of the SoBuJang industry."

Following the launch ceremony, a tripartite cooperation agreement (MOU) in the automotive sector was signed among Hyundai Motor Company, Korea FT, and the Convergence Innovation Support Group, involving about 300 partner companies.

Hyundai Motor plans to prepare 250 tasks to improve parts reliability by 2025 and share the 'Parts Reliability Development Guidelines' with partner companies, while enhancing parts reliability with the support of the group.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.