Korea and the European Union (EU) will strengthen research cooperation in the field of national strategic technologies, including semiconductors.
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) said that Joo Young-chang, head of the Science and Technology Innovation Headquarters, met with Marc Lemaitre, the EU Director General for Research and Innovation, in Brussels, Belgium on the 23rd to discuss ways o expanding cooperation between Korea and the EU in the strategic technology sector. The meeting is an opportunity to discuss subsequent measures following the statement made by President Seok-Yeol Yun and EU President Charles Michel the previous day to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
HQ Joo and Director General Lemaitre formed a consensus that fostering strategic technologies is important to respond to the era of technological hegemony. To this end, Korea is promoting a plan to participate in Horizon Europe, the EU’s financial support program for research and innovation. Horizon Europe is a large-scale program that supports 95.5 billion euros (about 130 trillion won) between 2021 and 2027.
Director Joo said, “As the EU supports international joint research through Horizon Europe, I hope that bilateral discussions on joining as an associate member will proceed smoothly and strengthen cooperation in strategic technologies such as quantum and space through Horizon Europe in the future.” Let’s continue to exchange and build a strategic partnership to share values,” he suggested.
HQ Joo also visited IMEC, a first-class comprehensive semiconductor research organization that supports research and development from all processes from semiconductor design to device, test and manufacturing this morning. Director Joo met with IMEC Vice President Maarten Willems and offered to cooperate with Korean government-funded research institutions such as the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI).
The Ministry of Science and ICT said, “We will continue to develop available cooperation measures based on high-level government cooperation channels such as the Korea-EU Joint Science and Technology Committee and the Korea-EU ICT Policy Dialogue.”
