Incheon City Launches Semiconductor Specialized University Project... 32.5 Billion KRW Invested by 2028

Joined Hands with Yonsei University International Campus and Inha University

Incheon City announced on the 10th that it will actively promote the Semiconductor Specialized University Support Project in collaboration with Yonsei University International Campus and Inha University.

The project, which has been underway since last year and will continue for four years until 2028, will involve a total investment of 32.5 billion KRW, including budgets from the Ministry of Education, Incheon City, and the universities' own contributions.

The city plans to systematically cultivate specialized personnel with high expertise in specific practical areas and bachelor-level developers with research capabilities equivalent to a master's degree.

Yonsei University will establish a new major called "Intelligent Semiconductor Major," specializing in device/process development and circuit/system fields, and operate a semiconductor convergence major curriculum involving nine departments. In particular, at the Songdo International Campus, starting this year, 35 freshmen will be selected and nurtured as talents leading future core technologies such as AI semiconductor foundational technologies.

Inha University will operate a semiconductor convergence major curriculum centered on chiplet semiconductors, involving 10 departments from its own university and six departments from Kangwon National University. In addition to interdisciplinary cooperation, customized curricular and extracurricular education programs suitable for the industrial field will be operated in collaboration with companies and research institutes.

This year, both universities plan to install new equipment for semiconductor process practice and expand educational infrastructure such as AI computing platforms and cleanrooms. Along with this, they will further strengthen industry-academia cooperation through developing curricula linked with companies, creating participatory courses taught directly by industry experts, conducting joint industry-academia research projects, and operating students’ field activities and internship programs.

Foreign buyers are viewing semiconductor manufacturing equipment at 'SEMICON Korea 2025' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. 2025.2.19. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

The semiconductor industry accounts for about 29.7% of Incheon’s total exports and plays a pivotal role in the regional economy. Especially with the advancement of new technologies such as AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and autonomous vehicles, the demand for personnel in the memory and system semiconductor fields is expected to more than double within the next 10 years.

An official from Incheon City stated, "The Semiconductor Specialized University Support Project is a strategic investment to establish Incheon as a global hub for the semiconductor industry beyond just supporting university education. Through discovering and nurturing talent, we will strengthen the competitiveness of Incheon’s semiconductor industry ecosystem and play a central role in national economic development."

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