Space, AI, Robots... Government Focuses Support on 60 Technologies in 5 Major Defense Sectors

Ministry of Industry and Defense Acquisition Program Administration Establish First Roadmap for Defense Materials and Components Development

The government will intensively support the development of materials and components technologies in five major areas?space, artificial intelligence (AI), manned-unmanned hybrid systems, robotics, and semiconductors?to strengthen K-defense industry competitiveness.

On the 20th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration held the "1st Defense Materials and Components Council" at Hyundai Rotem Technology Research Center in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi Province, where they established and agreed to jointly develop the "Roadmap for Materials and Components Development in Five Advanced Defense Fields" for the first time.

Since June last year, the Ministry and DAPA have been discussing research and development (R&D) for discovering 60 core technologies under the "Defense Materials and Components Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)."

On this day, the government selected 60 core technologies in the five advanced defense fields of space, AI, manned-unmanned hybrid systems, robotics, and semiconductors, and decided to support technology development in these areas.

The government plans to prioritize the development of defense materials and components technologies with high domestic production ripple effects. The core technologies under development include advanced aviation engine materials with dual-use potential for civilian and military applications and high export contribution, world-class next-generation hybrid powertrains for tanks, and multi-band transceiver modules for unmanned aerial vehicles.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "Due to security concerns, it is difficult to disclose the detailed list of 60 core technologies across the five fields and the specific roadmap for technology development. However, we intend to select and support tasks necessary to strengthen defense competitiveness."

The government explained that it identified 107 defense materials and components technology demands from industry, academia, research institutes, and the military, and about 30 experts from the Agency for Defense Development, Defense Technology Promotion Research Institute, Korea Electronics Technology Institute, and others shortlisted 60 projects considering overseas dependency, supply chain security, and industrial ripple effects.

After the meeting, Lee Seung-ryeol, Director of Industrial Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Kang Hwan-seok, Deputy Administrator of DAPA, held a separate roundtable with executives including Lee Yong-bae, CEO of Hyundai Rotem, which produces the Army’s main battle tank (K-2), to discuss government R&D support plans for developing customized weapon systems for defense export target countries and securing future advanced technologies.

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