Graphene Square Completes Pohang Plant with 42 Billion Won Investment... Establishes Annual Mass Production System for 300,000 sqm of Graphene Film

With the completion of a graphene production plant in Pohang, Gyeongbuk Province has established the foundation to become a hub for next-generation materials industries, as graphene is gaining attention as a key material across future industries such as semiconductors, displays, secondary batteries, and electric vehicles.

On November 18, Gyeongbuk Province announced that Graphene Square Co., Ltd., a graphene manufacturing company, held a completion ceremony for its Pohang factory located in the Pohang Blue Valley National Industrial Complex and officially began operating the world’s first mass production system for graphene film.

Officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Gyeongbuk Province, Pohang City, and company representatives who attended the completion ceremony of Graphene Square are gathered together for a commemorative photo.

The ceremony was attended by more than 100 people, including Kim Seong-Yeol, Director General for Industrial Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; Lee Nam-Eok, Head of the Airport Investment Headquarters of Gyeongbuk Province; Lee Kang-Deok, Mayor of Pohang; Kim Il-Man, Chairman of Pohang City Council; and Lee Young-Soo, Head of the Manufacturing Technology Research Center at Samsung Electronics. The event included commemorative speeches, congratulatory remarks, a ribbon-cutting, and a factory tour.

Graphene Square Co., Ltd., established in 2012, is a specialized graphene company. In 2021, it signed an MOU with Gyeongbuk Province and Pohang City (with an investment of 25 billion won and plans to employ 300 people) and relocated its headquarters from Suwon in the capital region to Pohang, becoming a leading company in advanced materials.

With this completion, Graphene Square Co., Ltd. has invested a total of 42 billion won (5.5 billion for the site, 10 billion for construction, and 26.5 billion for equipment) to build a factory with a total floor area of 6,308 square meters (two above-ground floors), establishing a mass production system capable of producing 300,000 square meters of graphene film annually.

In particular, the Pohang factory of Graphene Square features a 1,800-square-meter cleanroom and module manufacturing facilities on the first floor, while the second floor houses research labs and employee welfare facilities, creating an advanced materials manufacturing infrastructure that integrates research and production.

Graphene is a next-generation material that is 200 times stronger than steel and has an electron mobility 100 times faster than silicon. It is drawing attention as a key material across future industries such as semiconductors, displays, secondary batteries, and electric vehicles.

This completion marks a symbolic turning point in the commercialization of graphene and is expected to serve as a catalyst for Pohang to emerge as a center for the graphene and advanced materials industries.

Hong Byung-Hee, CEO of Graphene Square, said, "It is truly meaningful and moving to witness the world's first commercialization of graphene film in Pohang," adding, "From today, graphene will no longer remain a 'dream material' confined to laboratories, but will become a monumental starting point for a new era of industrial development."

Lee Kang-Deok, Mayor of Pohang, stated, "Today is not simply a factory completion, but a moment marking a new turning point for the graphene industry," and added, "I hope that the Graphene Square Pohang factory will serve as an important catalyst in establishing Pohang as a global center of the graphene industry."

Lee Nam-Eok, Head of the Airport Investment Headquarters of Gyeongbuk Province, remarked, "The completion of the Graphene Square Pohang factory is the result of Gyeongbuk’s strategy to foster the advanced materials industry, and it will be a stepping stone for the province to establish itself as a hub for next-generation materials industries, including graphene." He continued, "The province will continue to provide comprehensive support, including investment subsidies, permits, and workforce training, so that companies can focus on technology development and production."

Meanwhile, Gyeongbuk Province and Pohang City have supported Graphene Square Co., Ltd. with local investment promotion subsidies to help the company successfully settle in the region, and they plan to continue fostering clusters for future materials industries such as graphene, secondary batteries, and semiconductors.

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