South Korea invests 18.3 billion won to build Micro-LED industry ecosystem

The Korea Display Industry Association announced that it will invest 18.3 billion won from 2022 to the end of 2026 to establish a Micro-LED ecosystem. Four institutions, including the Korea Electronics Display Industry Research Institute, the Korea Photonics Technology Institute, the Korea Electronics Technology Institute, and the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, will participate.

According to a report by ETNews on Tuesday (31st), Micro-LED products have long life, good operating stability, and can be expanded without size restrictions, and are considered to be the next generation of display technology. In South Korea, large companies and component companies are developing Micro-LED technology. However, the industry is facing difficulties due to limited commercial infrastructure. At the same time, China is ahead of South Korea in this field.

The report pointed out that China is becoming the largest producer of LED light sources by expanding national infrastructure investment. They are leading in the field of Micro-LED with domestic LCD/OLED factories. A person from the Korea Display Industry Association said: "This (referring to the establishment of the Micro-LED ecosystem project) will become a new opportunity to surpass LED competitors such as China."

The organizer, Korea Institute of Photonics Technology, will set up cooperation centers in Gyeonggi and Gwangju. The center will be equipped with a total of 18 types of equipment to support various process services, including strengthening the technological competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises by supporting the production and performance test evaluation of Micro-LED prototypes. The association plans to support Micro-LED companies through corporate consulting, patent development, and product commercialization strategic planning.

Lee Dong-wook, vice president of the Korea Display Industry Association, said: "The Micro-LED Industry Innovation Infrastructure Project supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is expected to become a turning point in the development of the domestic Micro-LED industry." "We will build a new ecosystem to defeat other competitive countries by supporting domestic companies."