The Largest Advanced Quantum Fab in Korea to Be Established at Daejeon KAIST

Ministry of Science and ICT Selects KAIST for 'Open Quantum Process Infrastructure Project'
451 Billion KRW Investment Including National and Municipal Funds by 2031

Perspective view of the largest advanced quantum fab under construction at KAIST Daejeon Headquarters / KAIST

On the 27th, Daejeon City announced that the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) was selected for the "Open Quantum Process Infrastructure Construction Project" announced by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The "Open Quantum Process Infrastructure Construction Project" is a project to build a dedicated quantum fab as essential infrastructure to prepare for the quantum industrialization era, providing specialized manufacturing services and supporting process development and workforce training.

The project will be carried out over eight years from 2024 to 2031 with a total budget of 45.1 billion KRW, including 23.4 billion KRW from the national government, 20 billion KRW from the city, and 1.7 billion KRW from private contributions. Infrastructure will be established by 2027, and full-scale quantum process services are expected to be provided from 2028.

In addition to the existing fab facilities within KAIST's Future Convergence Small Device Center, a dedicated quantum fab building of 2,500㎡ with one basement floor and two above-ground floors will be expanded on an adjacent site. Once the largest next-generation quantum fab space and facilities in Korea, spanning 520 pyeong, are established, it will serve as a hub where government-funded research institutes, universities, domestic and international companies, and overseas institutions can jointly conduct research.

KAIST plans to build an open quantum fab with expertise, safety, and publicness based on its research capabilities in quantum science and technology, experience operating the cleanroom at the existing Future Convergence Small Device Center, educational capabilities of the Graduate School of Quantum Science and Technology, and domestic and international networks.

In collaboration with the Korea Nano Technology Institute, KAIST will operate the quantum fab to secure process expertise and business viability, and jointly develop core process technologies for various platforms with the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, a leading institution in quantum technology.

With SK Telecom, a leading quantum technology company, KAIST will promote the development of quantum photonic integrated circuit modules, and with Daejeon Technopark, which specializes in supporting quantum companies, it plans to support small and medium enterprises in utilizing the quantum fab and startup activities.

KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee said, "Quantum science and technology is a core strategic technology field that will determine future technological supremacy, with a significant ripple effect across society, from the economy to security. I hope that this selection will lead to close cooperation among industry, academia, research, and government, and that the achievements of the quantum technology industry will be realized early."

Jang Ho-jong, Head of the Economic Science Department of Daejeon City, said, "Daejeon is a city with the best infrastructure nationwide for fostering the quantum industry. We will accelerate efforts to become a global quantum hub city through infrastructure expansion, workforce training, and attracting domestic and international quantum companies."

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