Jeonnam Province, Foundation for Fostering Eco-Friendly High Value-Added Material Industry

Selected Site for Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Public Contest 'Establishment of Commercialization Infrastructure for Biodegradable Polymer Materials' Project

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province has laid the groundwork for fostering an eco-friendly high value-added materials industry.

On the 7th, the province announced that it was selected as the site for the "Degradable Polymer Materials Commercialization Infrastructure Project," organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy as part of the government's 2050 carbon neutrality policy.

By 2023, with a total project cost of 16.1 billion KRW including 6 billion KRW in national funding, a full-cycle support center for eco-friendly polymer materials companies producing biodegradable vinyl and plastics will be established on a 4,725㎡ site in the Samdong district of Yeosu.

Once completed, it will support small and medium enterprises in research and development of eco-friendly polymer raw material formulations, prototype production, and biodegradability verification.

Jeonnam Technopark will take overall charge, establishing 18 types of research and verification equipment for degradable polymer testing and evaluation, as well as pilot production and material analysis facilities, actively supporting petrochemical-based SMEs to diversify their businesses into eco-friendly sectors.

Korea Conformity Laboratories, the nation's top testing and certification institution in the materials field, will establish testing, analysis, and technology commercialization strategies for degradable polymer materials, while Suncheon National University will support region-tailored professional workforce training.

Globally, the degradable polymer materials industry is gaining attention as a solution to plastic waste problems and carbon reduction.

Especially since COVID-19, the urgency of the climate change crisis has increased, intensifying competition among countries to develop technologies to capture the eco-friendly materials market.

In Korea, technology development for degradable polymer raw materials led by large corporations and application and processing product development by SMEs are expanding. The domestic market size alone is expected to reach 687.8 billion KRW by 2027.

So far, the province has proactively supported technology development of local companies to induce commercialization of various degradable polymer material products.

Geumseong Film and Namhae Chemical have completed technology development for biodegradable agricultural films made from sweet potatoes, onions, and other crops. Epolytech and Daeju KC are developing eco-friendly packaging materials used in convenience stores and fresh food to meet the surging demand for food packaging due to COVID-19.

Through this project, the province plans to enhance the image of clean Jeonnam and foster an eco-friendly high value-added materials industry, achieving two goals at once.

It will take the lead in solving plastic waste problems in agriculture and fisheries such as mulching films and marine buoys, and support business diversification of more than 100 petrochemical-based SMEs in the province.

The project aims to increase sales by over 89 billion KRW and create 695 direct and indirect jobs.

Joo Soon-seon, Director of the Strategic Industry Bureau of Jeonnam Province, said, "Fostering the eco-friendly degradable polymer materials industry is not an option but a path we must take," adding, "We will create future new growth engines through the convergence of Jeonnam's core petrochemical industry and eco-friendly industries and contribute to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050."

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