Jeon Ok-hyun, Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member, "There Must Not Be a Second Failure in Attracting the Synchrotron Accelerator"

Gyeongbuk Province Proposes 750 Billion Won Neutron Accelerator Hosting... Latecomer Jeonnam Province's Hosting Strategy

Jo Ok-hyun, Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Recently, there has been a growing demand within the scientific and industrial communities to establish a neutron accelerator (beam) facility domestically to address semiconductor errors caused by neutrons in the atmosphere and to respond to future semiconductor development.

On the 6th, Jo Okhyun, a member of the Jeonnam Provincial Council, raised the need to prepare differentiated follow-up measures from other cities and provinces following the failure to attract the 4th generation circular synchrotron radiation accelerator during the administrative audit of the Korea Electric Power Corporation University (KEPCO University) establishment support group.

Assemblyman Jo stated, “Since the government authorities currently have no plans to additionally build synchrotron radiation accelerators, it is necessary to establish key facilities required for creating an industry-academia-research cluster linked with the Korea Energy Technology University, which aims to be established in 2023.”

In response, the person in charge of the KEPCO University Establishment Support Group in Jeonnam Province replied, “We will strive to attract a spallation neutron accelerator (beam).”

A neutron accelerator uses neutrons to break down materials into smaller particles, making it widely applicable in basic science, applied science, and medicine. Each beamline has significant ripple effects in industries such as semiconductors, special materials, life sciences, and pharmaceuticals.

As demand for semiconductors with ultra-fine processes and high data density increases, cases of semiconductor chip errors caused by neutron influence are also rising.

In the case of semiconductors for autonomous vehicles, incorrect system commands could potentially lead to fatal accidents, making neutron accelerators essential equipment to address latent risks and secure competitiveness in the semiconductor market, a key industry for Korea.

However, there are currently no neutron testing facilities available for domestic companies, forcing reliance on overseas facilities in the United States, Europe, and China. The high usage fees pose a significant burden on small and medium-sized enterprises, and there are concerns about the outflow of national assets as well as the leakage of the latest semiconductor technologies and information under development.

Assemblyman Jo said, “A large budget has already been invested to attract a synchrotron radiation accelerator, and despite the hopes and efforts of all provincial residents, the sense of loss from the failure to attract it was very great,” adding, “Recognizing this situation, a differentiated attraction strategy is necessary.”

He continued, “Pohang University of Science and Technology and Gyeongbuk Province plan to propose a 750 billion KRW Korean Spallation Neutron Infrastructure and Test Platform Construction Project as a government project next year,” and pointed out, “With the neutron testing facility expansion through the upgrade of the Gyeongju proton accelerator also under consideration, we must not participate again as a latecomer and cause further disappointment to the residents.”

He urged, “We should take the experience of the previous synchrotron radiation accelerator attraction failure as a mirror to prepare a more solid attraction strategy and establish a master plan for creating an industry-academia-research cluster.”

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