Domestic Railway Technology Sees Sharp Increase in International Certification Acquisitions... 14 Cases Supported in First Half of the Year

Support for International Certification Acquisition for National R&D Projects in the Railway Sector Starting This Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Kangwook Cho] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 13th that it will actively support the acquisition of international certifications for 14 domestic railway technologies with global competitiveness. The ministry plans to maximize the outcomes of research and development (R&D) by promoting international certification for technologies linked to national R&D projects.

Since 2018, the ministry has been supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-sized companies by providing up to 100 million KRW per case to help domestic railway technologies obtain international certifications. It has also offered competency enhancement training courses for employees as part of the international certification support project.

Accordingly, the number of cases selected for the international certification support project has significantly increased from 4 in 2018, 9 in 2019, 14 in 2020, to 14 in the first half of this year.

Thanks to this support, the number of international certifications acquired for domestic railway technologies has rapidly increased in a short period, from 2 in 2016 and 5 in 2017 to 17 in 2018, 16 in 2019, and 11 last year.

In particular, this year, many R&D-linked technologies were selected to maximize the outcomes of national R&D projects.

For example, the block information transmission device, developed as part of a national R&D project, is a safety information transmission device for implementing the Korean Train Control System (KTCS-2) for general and high-speed railroads on actual sites such as the Jeolla Line, and it is pursuing acquisition of the highest international safety grade, SIL4 GA.

If the block information transmission device, a signaling technology for implementing the Korean Train Control System, is recognized for the highest level of safety, it is expected to significantly enhance the competitiveness of the Korean signaling system in overseas markets.

Additionally, the ministry plans to support the rapid acquisition of the international quality standard certification (IRIS), essential for overseas expansion, for the low-floor tram articulation device and high-speed rail brake shoe, which are being localized through projects such as the ‘Railway Vehicle Parts Development Project,’ in connection with existing national R&D projects.

To ensure smooth execution of overseas projects, the ministry also supports the acquisition of international certifications for railway technologies scheduled for overseas delivery or orders.

The train centralized control device has acquired SIL2 GA and is planned to be introduced in the 49.1 billion KRW Mongolia Junbayan~Tabantolgoi signaling project won by Korean companies. The aluminum car bodies for railway vehicles to be applied in Singapore and Taiwan electric trains have obtained welding certification required by the ordering parties and are proceeding with final delivery.

The vehicle broadcasting display and CCTV systems have also acquired IRIS certification and are planned to enter the Turkish railway market with 450 units by 2023.

For screen door technology, support is provided to acquire the universal highest safety grade certification, SIL4 GA, aiming to enter overseas markets such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which have an annual market size of about 800 billion KRW for screen doors.

Furthermore, support is provided for acquiring SIL2 GA for passenger doors of high-speed rail vehicles, which currently rely entirely on imports. It is expected that this will replace imports with domestic products in the future. The ministry is also pursuing the first domestic acquisition of IRIS certification in the railway vehicle interior materials sector.

Kim Seontae, Director of the Railway Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, “The global railway market, worth about 250 trillion KRW annually, is expected to grow rapidly at 2.2% per year, driven by decarbonization strategies and post-COVID economic stimulus measures.” He added, “We will continue to expand the international certification support project in line with the increasing demand from the railway industry so that this support project can serve as a catalyst for excellent domestic railway technologies to enter the global market.”

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