Government to Nurture 1,600 Carbon Convergence Companies by 2030

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] The government plans to nurture 1,600 carbon material convergence specialized companies by 2030. Through this, it aims to create a total of 50,000 jobs, achieve annual sales of 50 trillion KRW, and exports of 10 trillion KRW, thereby leaping forward as one of the 'Top 3 Carbon Material Convergence Industry Powers.'

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced this mid-to-long-term roadmap, the 'Comprehensive Development Strategy for the Carbon Material Convergence Industry,' at the opening ceremony of the Korea Carbon Industry Promotion Agency held on the 24th in Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do.

Carbon materials are new materials made of carbon. They are attracting attention for overcoming the limitations of existing materials due to their excellent physical properties (ultra-lightweight, high strength, high conductivity, etc.). The importance of the carbon material convergence industry is also growing.

The Ministry of Industry has set '5 core demand industries - 18 focus areas' where synergy is expected through the application of carbon materials and supports customized policies for each demand industry.

First, a public-private consultative body called the 'Carbon Material Convergence Alliance' will be formed and institutionalized to discover business models by industry and create demand. In addition, carbon clusters linked with regionally specialized industries and function-based hub support centers will be established to create new markets. The plan is to strengthen carbon convergence capabilities tailored to the five core demand industries: carbon materials (Jeollabuk-do), precision machinery (Gyeongnam), semiconductors (Gyeonggi), displays (Chungnam), and secondary batteries (Chungbuk).

An institutional foundation for nurturing carbon specialized companies will also be established. Through the 'Component Company Business Restructuring Support Group,' which involves multiple ministries, related organizations, and research institutes, existing component and material companies will be supported to expand and transition their business areas into carbon convergence businesses.

Through this, the number of carbon convergence companies is planned to increase from 778 last year to 1,400 in 2025 and 1,610 in 2030.

Furthermore, to expand the market, 300 demand industry demonstration projects will be promoted by 2030. Full-cycle corporate support for commercialization will be provided, including demonstration support for demand items, establishment of commercialization foundations, mass production and reliability evaluation, and prototype certification.

To create new markets, the plan is to nurture 200 'Tantan Companies,' which are specialized companies with independent technology in carbon material/component molding and manufacturing, and 100 'C-Startups.' Along with this, 30 billion KRW will be invested annually by 2030 in research and development (R&D), standardization, and demonstration projects to secure advanced technology for major promising carbon convergence items.

The Ministry of Industry set a goal to increase the global market share of carbon materials from 3% last year to 15% by 2030 by enhancing the price competitiveness of carbon materials and components. Additionally, it plans to secure core technologies of carbon materials and components and develop the technological capabilities of 20 manufacturing and molding equipment to strengthen industrial competitiveness.

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