Jeonnam Province Accelerates Hosting of Korea's Only 'Ultra-High Power Laser Research Facility'

Expert Strategy Meeting Held... Exploring Measures to Create a Virtuous Industrial Ecosystem and Link Basic Research

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province is accelerating efforts to attract the nation's only ultra-high-power laser research facility.

On the 15th, Jeonnam Province held an "Expert Strategy Meeting for the Establishment of an Ultra-High-Power Laser Research Facility" to explore ways to create a virtuous cycle industrial ecosystem using ultra-high-power lasers and to link basic research.

Various opinions from laser expert groups were presented, emphasizing the urgent need to establish the nation's only ultra-high-power laser research facility to secure a comparative advantage in advanced industries such as semiconductors and to achieve academic outcomes in basic science research.

In particular, experts from various fields who actually use ultra-high-power lasers attended, conveying the vivid atmosphere on the front lines, where laser demand is rapidly increasing, and urging the prompt establishment of the ultra-high-power laser research facility.

Jung Seong-ho, President of the Korean Laser Processing Society, evaluated, "Processing lasers play a key role in product manufacturing in manufacturing sectors such as semiconductors, displays, automobiles, and shipbuilding, including welding, cutting, and ultra-fine processing."

He added, "If the ultra-high-power laser research facility is attracted to Jeonnam, not only lasers themselves but also essential technologies for laser development such as ultra-precision optical component processing technology and optical material technology will grow together, securing opportunities to enhance the international competitiveness of the processing industry."

Experts also noted that ultra-high-power lasers are very effective in revealing characteristics of the Earth's interior that cannot be visually confirmed in the field of basic science.

Professor Seong Dong-hoon of the Department of Earth Environmental Sciences at Chonnam National University, who studies mineralogical changes inside the Earth using ultra-high-power lasers, advised in his presentation, "Ultra-high-power lasers can study the internal structures of not only the Earth but also planets, exoplanets, and stars. Through these extreme environmental conditions, new materials that did not exist before can be created and studied, making them essential to compete globally in basic and applied sciences."

He added, "It is expected that Jeonnam's ultra-high-power laser research facility will dramatically raise the level of basic research in South Korea."

In fact, the application fields of ultra-high-power lasers are limitless. They are widely used not only in basic sciences such as physics, chemistry, and geology but also in Jeonnam's future new growth engines such as semiconductors, aerospace, defense, bio, and energy.

The province plans to secure the ultra-high-power laser research facility to disseminate and expand high-performance lasers and laser processing technologies, and to establish an industry-academia-research cooperation system so that new laser technologies can be quickly applied to industries.

Park Chang-hwan, Jeonnam Province's Deputy Governor for Political Affairs, said, "We will attract global laser companies to Jeonnam by domesticating laser core components, which currently rely on over 90% imports, and create quality jobs. We will fully respond to the Ministry of Science and ICT's nationwide competition to ensure the ultra-high-power laser research facility is established in Jeonnam and develop it into the nation's only full-cycle ultra-high-power laser cluster."

Jeonnam Province plans to actively reflect the expert opinions discussed on this day in the ongoing "Planning Study for Large Laser Research Facility Attraction Strategy," closely cooperate with the government, and respond smoothly to the government's competition review scheduled for the second half of 2022 or the first quarter of 2023.

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