Semiconductors COSAR focuses on semiconductor R&D for Korea to be global No. 2 power within 10 years Although the government mapped out its ambitious plan to become the No.2 semiconductor power globally by 2015, the commercialization results shown thus far by the Consortium of Semiconductor Advanced Research (COSAR) appeared to be falling short of meeting this target. Accordingly, detailed promotion efforts are now under way, such as strengthening the system for improving the development base for semiconductors, promoting strategic development of next-generation technology equipment as well as boosting the material industry's technology, nurturing skilled human resources, and maximizing export marketing ability. In that regard, Director Cho Joong Hwee of COSAR who concurrently serves as professor at the department of multimedia systems, Incheon University, says that semiconductor business' immediate task and COSAR's role are to beef up system semiconductor competitiveness, to improve communications between demand companies and supply companies, to develop new industry creation-model system semiconductors, and to advance "System to Packaging" connections. Since it was launched in April, 2004 to boost Korea's semiconductor industry's development as diverse technology development subjects form a consortium, COSAR has allowed to start in the meantime a system semiconductor for autos, system semiconductor for telemetrics, analog/RF technology development as well as PRAM development tasks and so on. Becoming world semiconductor No.2 power by 2015 First off, Cho pointed out that COSAR's role discussion has to be expressed as strengthening the competitiveness. In this sense, he said that the Consortium is designing to drive forward semiconductor for electricity as well as R&D (research & development) projects with high commercial potential through user-centered planning. Especially, he proposed that according to the System to Packaging concept, Fabless, Foundry, packing/testing firms advance system semiconductor industry development in concert by means of the combination with auto, BT, NT industry etc. without mentioning connect enlargement with system industry holding IT field's global competitiveness plus continuously developing the memory industry, our semiconductor industry's most competitive edge. Moreover, he insisted that Korea's semiconductor business have to allow firms with global competitiveness to enter into the global top 10 circle in larger numbers by promoting core semiconductor equipment as well as material field's technology development in the interests of the nano semiconductor era's semiconductor process innovation. The Director explained, on one hand, that ceaseless R&D collaboration among the private sector, universities and research laboratories is needed, since the semiconductor industry leads system industry's technology development such as auto, IT, BT and so forth. He emphasizes that the government's powerful support for such R&D will be the driving force for the link ring creation of technology user and supplier, adding that in this respect, there is a great significance in the Consortium's launch. He added that projects for nurturing of semiconductor human resources and building up technology infrastructure also should be enlarged continuously for technology development as well as production innovation. "System to Packaging" connection Concerning the five projects which are currently under way, Cho named system IC development for Smart-Cars, system IC development for telemetrics society materialization, Giga-notch Mobile PRAM development, projects to overcome the fragility of equipment part and for foundry self-reliance. First, in the interests of system IC development for Smart-Cars, a total of 13.08 billion won (around $13 million) is invested for the purpose of self-reliance realization of semiconductors for autos as the government and the private sector share costs half-and half. Second, the system IC development for telematics society materialization in which a total of 10.92 billion won (around $11 million) will be invested, aims to develop smart intelligence-model sensor IC. Third, Giga-notch Mobile PRAM development, whose success possibility is over 100%, is to secure memory industry's continuous initiative as the government and the private invest 16 billion won (around $16.4 million) in total half-and-half. Besides, to overcome the fragility of equipment parts, a total of 11.28 billion won (around $11.5 million) is being invested and foundry self-reliance etc. is propelled for the purpose of RF manufacturing technology improvement etc. In conjunction with equipment as well as material, the Prof. said that providing equipment and material do not catch up with as it is, the final product cannot be produced. In regard to the human resources problem as well, he said young engineering graduates must be attracted into this semiconductor field by encouraging them, pointing out that today, it is a reality that the semiconductor field is regarded as one of the so-called 3D (dirty, difficult and dangerous) types of businesses by the youth. Director Cho stressed that these five target projects must be carried out in concert with the private sector's roadmap whereas the government's role retains a role to present the basic direction. Expansion of system semiconductor's growth needed The leap forward into the global No.2 semiconductor power will be propelled by system semiconductor's growth enlargement, memory field disparity enlargement with advanced countries, and equipment/ material field's self-reliance base enlargement. To this end, system semiconductor development base strengthening, nextgeneration technology development's strategic propulsion, equipment/material industry's technology power boost, technology innovation and manpower nurturing's systematization, and export marketing ability's maximization are appearing to be major challenging tasks for Korea as mentioned above. According to the vision for the semiconductor field's second leap forward, an export scale of 26.5 billion in 2004 and of $30.5 billion in 2005 will be increased to $76 billion by 2015. In terms of world market share, 38% of memory in 2004 will increase to 55% in 2015 (world No. 1). Foundry and system semiconductor will be enthroned to No. 2 and No. 3 position globally by increasing from 3% in 2004 to 10% in 2015 and from 2.1% in 2004 to 12% in 2015 respectively. Accordingly, Korea's entire global semiconductor market share is expected to increase from 10% in 2004 to 20% by 2015, achieving the No. 2 position globally. Helped by the government's support, COSAR will spare no efforts so that equipment and material's localization rate also will be raised from 18% in 2004 to 50% and from 50% to 75% in 2015 respectively, the Director concluded.