The Number of Core Technologies Increases from 6 to 14... Supporting Transition to a 'Future-Oriented Structure'

Resolution of the Cabinet Meeting on the Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion and Modernization of Root Industries (Root Industry Act)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] The scope of process technologies, which form the foundation of the root industry, will be expanded and reorganized from 6 to 14 to reflect trends toward intelligence and advancement. A legal foundation will also be established to strengthen preferential support for root companies and the influx of new personnel such as youth.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the "Act on the Promotion and Advancement of the Root Industry (Root Industry Act)" containing these details was approved at the Cabinet meeting on the 14th and will be enforced from the 16th.

This amendment to the enforcement decree is a follow-up measure to the revision of the Root Industry Act, which aims to transform the root industry, the foundation of manufacturing, into a future-oriented structure by fully expanding the scope of root technologies in response to changes in the industrial environment such as the 4th Industrial Revolution and supply chain restructuring.

First, for the first time in 10 years since the revision of the Root Industry Act, the scope of foundational process technologies (root technologies) will be expanded and reorganized from 6 to 14. Specifically, in addition to the existing metal material-related root technologies such as ▲casting ▲mold ▲plastic working ▲welding ▲surface treatment ▲heat treatment, eight next-generation process technologies will be added, including four material diversification process technologies and four intelligent process technologies.

The material diversification process technologies include ▲injection molding and press ▲precision machining ▲additive manufacturing ▲industrial film and paper processes, while the intelligent process technologies include ▲robotics ▲sensors ▲industrial intelligent software ▲engineering design.

With the expansion of the scope of root technologies, the scope of the root industry, which refers to industries that operate businesses using these technologies or manufacture equipment used in these technologies, will also increase from the existing 6 major industries and 76 sectors to 14 major industries and 111 sectors.

The amendment to the Root Industry Act also newly establishes regulations on the procedures for the legally codified "root company certification" system, the validity period of the certification (3 years), and post-management. This system officially confirms a company as a root company to clearly define the preferential support targets related to the root industry, such as preferential benefits for employing foreign workers. Since 2012, the National Root Industry Promotion Center (Korea Institute of Industrial Technology) has been issuing certificates.

The selection criteria, procedures, and support details for the "Good Root Company to Work For" selection system were also specified.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, "It is significant that, 10 years after the Root Industry Act was enacted in 2011, a legal foundation has been established to promote the technological convergence and advancement of the root industry and to strengthen preferential treatment for root companies and support for the influx of new personnel such as youth," adding, "We plan to actively promote the amendments to related associations, organizations, companies, and local governments to ensure smooth implementation and settlement, and to provide detailed information on newly added next-generation process technologies in the Root Industry White Paper published annually by the ministry."

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