[Factory Tour] Nanobrick "Quantum Jump When Deciding Mass Production of Displays Applying Nano New Materials"

Exterior view of Nanobrick headquarters located in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do
Photo by Yoo Hyun-seok

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] "All preparations for the display and IT businesses we have invested in so far are complete. Now, we are just waiting for our clients to decide on mass production, and once the products are launched, we expect significant growth."

At the headquarters located in Mogok-dong, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, Kim Hyunseok, Executive Director of Nanobrick, spoke with confidence.

Founded in 2007, Nanobrick possesses a technology called the ‘Active Nano Platform,’ which can produce various functional nanomaterials. Based on this, they finely control the position and spacing of nanoparticles using external signals such as electric and magnetic fields to produce functional new materials that change color and transmittance. The company’s headquarters is in Pyeongtaek, with offices in Gwanggyo, Suwon-si, and Seoul.

The headquarters in Pyeongtaek is a three-story building. The first floor houses production facilities, while the second and third floors are dedicated to research and development (R&D) and offices. Photography is prohibited in the production facilities to protect the security of the Active Nano Platform technology. Factory Manager Jo Sung-yoon explained, "Only authorized personnel can enter the production facilities on the first floor because by seeing the production equipment, one can roughly infer what devices are being used."

Manager Jo described the production process of the nano new materials. The production process is divided into three main steps. First, nanoparticles are produced in large quantities with uniformity. Then, each particle undergoes special surface treatment, and through a encapsulation method, functional new materials are produced.

Manager Jo stated, "We have currently completed preparations for mass production," adding, "There is ample space in the factory, so if clients want to increase production later, we can expand immediately." He emphasized, "One of our strengths is that we have the largest domestic production capacity of over 2.5 tons per year of nanomaterials."

The production factory on the first floor of Nanobrick where photography is not allowed.
Photo by Yoo Hyun-seok

We moved to the third floor. The most noticeable feature was the numerous patents displayed along the corridor. He said, "We hold 116 patents domestically and internationally, which proves that we possess unique nano technology."

After the explanation of the facilities, a Q&A session was held with Executive Director Kim Hyunseok in the conference room. Nanobrick recorded sales of 8.7 billion KRW and an operating profit of 100 million KRW last year. Sales increased by 11.54% compared to the previous year, and operating profit turned positive. However, in the first half of this year, sales were 3.7 billion KRW with an operating loss of 100 million KRW. Executive Director Kim explained, "Compared to last year, hiring and development costs increased, causing the operating profit to turn into a loss. We plan to continue focusing on personnel and facility investments in the second half because this is a period where we need to concentrate on investment."

However, he expects significant growth in performance within two years. The business is broadly divided into display, bio/cosmetics, and security/functional packaging sectors.

Currently, security products are driving performance. However, rapid growth is expected in related products, led by bio materials. One of the bio products, M-BEAD, is a reagent that can extract genetic information materials such as DNA and RNA faster from various specimens compared to existing products. It is used in COVID-19 diagnostic kits and others.

Executive Director Kim said, "We trade with over 50 companies worldwide for M-BEAD, and we are the only domestic company capable of mass production. Importing incurs high logistics and inventory costs, but using our product reduces these expenses." He added, "The materials used in COVID-19 diagnostic kits have only been in use for about a year, but they are gradually being replaced by our products."

Corridor view on the 3rd floor of Nanobrick headquarters. Numerous patents are displayed.
Photo by Hyunseok Yoo

Following bio materials, the products expected to lead growth are those used in displays and electronic devices. Sales are anticipated to begin as early as next year, or at the latest within two years. The company has developed materials that can change the color and pattern of IT device surfaces and has completed preparations for mass production. When an application runs on a phone, voltage activates to change the case color as desired. They are currently developing technology with a Chinese IT company.

The field with the greatest expectations is display. This is a new material that can control the transmittance of displays with low voltage. They are currently developing automotive displays with a global IT company. Since displays are applied in many fields, significant growth is expected. He said, "It is difficult to specify the timing of sales because it depends on the client’s product launch schedule, but once sales occur, Nanobrick’s performance could make a quantum leap."

Nanobrick emphasizes that since their nano new materials can be applied in various fields, commercialization will enable substantial future growth. He said, "Nanobrick’s products have the advantage of being applicable across diverse industries. Since preparations for mass production are already complete, we will expand application areas through various businesses and grow."

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