Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Expands Support for Domestic Railway Technology to Obtain International Certification

On the 13th, one day before the general strike announced by the Seoul Metro Labor Union, a train is stopped at the Korea Railroad Corporation Guro Vehicle Office in Guro-gu, Seoul. The labor and management are scheduled to hold final negotiations on the same day, but concerns about the strike becoming a reality are growing as both sides are sharply divided over the restructuring plan. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to form an emergency transportation countermeasure headquarters and deploy 13,000 substitute workers, including retirees, to prevent chaos during commuting hours. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 3rd that it will expand the 'International Certification Acquisition Support Project' this year to support domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-sized companies in obtaining international certification for domestically developed railway technologies.

According to the Ministry, following the selection of 13 projects in the first half of this year, an additional 12 projects will be selected in the second half.

Selected companies will receive support of up to 100 million KRW per case for costs related to certification acquisition, such as testing, certification fees, and factory audits. Additionally, competency enhancement training courses will be provided to improve the understanding and practical skills of company employees.

Since railways require a high level of safety due to the risk of large-scale casualties in the event of an accident, international certification is mandatory not only for overseas clients but also in the domestic market.

International certifications widely recognized in the railway sector include the Safety Integrity Level (SIL), an international standard for railway product safety; the Technical Specification for Interoperability (TSI), which ensures compatibility among components primarily in the European region; and the International Railway Industry Standard (IRIS), specialized for the railway industry.

This time, 12 domestic railway technologies have been selected for support, including 5 SIL certifications, 3 IRIS certifications, and 4 others.

The Ministry plans to further expand support for international certification acquisition from next year to assist SMEs and mid-sized companies in entering overseas markets.

For SMEs that have obtained international certification but face difficulties in developing overseas market channels, support will be provided for participation fees in international exhibitions, product transportation costs, and booth production expenses. The maximum support amount will also be increased from the current 100 million KRW to 150 million KRW.

Kang Hee-eop, Director of the Railway Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "Railway companies have begun to show tangible results by acquiring a total of 15 international certifications last year and this year," adding, "We plan to continue expanding government support to help secure competitiveness in overseas markets."

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