Opinions do not differ about forecasts that within 10 years, the robot industry will become a pivotal export product to lead Korea's export industry - on a par with today's telecommunication and semiconductor industry.
Core industries' total production growth rate such as semiconductors, cellular phones, and auto manufacturing, as well as the shipbuilding industry that led the Korean economy over the past one decade, is expected to fall little by little in the coming years. In other words, robots are emerging as the most certain alternative to provide for growth after 10 years, presuming that other next-generation growth industries like the hybrid cars, next-generation semiconductor & mobile communication, & content & software are the ones that will be able to provide for the Korean people just for several years. Actually, according to Ministry of Information & Communication (MIC) statistics, Korea's IT exports have slackened the 30% growth in 2004 to 5% growth in 2005. MIC is predicting that this year, the semiconductor industry's total production growth rate would drop from last year's 14.9% to 6.2% and in the case of the shipbuilding industry as well, it would drop from 8.1% to 7.3% respectively.
With exports of $20 billion forecasted by 2013, the robot industry's growth goal is smaller than exports of automobiles, semiconductor, cellular phones, and shipbuilding at the moment.
Nevertheless, experts emphasize that robots will change the paradigms of the future life patterns and be the core of manufacturing, a basic physical strength of national competitiveness.
These experts further point out, "Today is a point of time that associated business circles should concentrate their efforts on manpower nurturing and technology security since robot technology and human power play a role to nurture competitiveness of the entire manufacturing industry," adding that robot competitiveness is equivalent to manufacturing's competitiveness.
Technology gap of 80% with advanced countries
Korea's robot industry structure is being geared toward manufacturing-oriented robots. Among the global sixth rank level scale of 350 billion won (around $370 million), roughly 300 billion won will be spent on robots for manufacturing and robots for education as well as robots for toys, accounting for the majority among the rest of service robots too.
In the case of the intelligent-model service model, which is presumed to become the huge market of the future, smaller companies will manufacture the majority. Thus, bipolarization structure is being forged as larger companies are concentrating their efforts on robots for electronics product manufacturing and automobile manufacturing whereas smaller companies are gearing themselves for service robots.
In particular, till the end of the 1980s and mid-1990s larger companies in Korea rushed into the robot industry as their interest grew in the automation industry but with the 1997 financial crisis, a raft of larger companies withdrew from the robot business one after another.
Accordingly, the relative importance of imports every year since 1999 is on the increase with a scale of exports of 60.9 billion won (around $65 million) and imports of 110.2 billion won (around $110 million) as of 2003.
As to its robot technology level, Korea is experiencing a technology gap of 80% in comparison with advanced countries and technology difference of 3~5 years in the case of the headspring technology. Korea's robot industry is analyzed to be insufficient in 23 fields compared with advanced countries among 37 technologies and to be on a par with them in 14 fields alone, according to experts' survey.
Robot system technology competitiveness which has accumulated with robot for industry, and the globally highest level's IT as well as manufacturing technology are pinpointed to be outstanding points for Korea robot industry.
Urgent manpower nurturing needed
Regarding robot's industrialization strategy, experts point out, "To stick to the fountainhead technology and basic technology is competitiveness", explaining that to rise to the 90~95% level of the United States or Japan is not difficult for the Korea robot industry and further the introduction of stateof- the-art functions is not a problem, but to boost precision degree or parts material level till 98~99% is ideal.
A solution to such a problem for the Korean robot industry is therefore summarized to be continuous investment by selection and concentration strategy.
Alongside of this, special human power nurturing is judged to be an urgent task for the Korean robot industry as domestic robotassociated manpower is grasped to be no more than 10% with roughly 2,000 people level in comparison with Japan, the robot industry No. 1 globally.
To boost robot industry manpower scale at home, relevant experts note that industry manpower 10,000 people should be secured by strengthening support in university, colleges, & robot high school, and needless to say nurturing of high quality human resources through university laboratory and robot special graduates.
Accordingly, the government plans to offer 'Robot Specialization Courses', which attaches importance to experimentation and on-the-spot research education, to four-year degree Master's/Ph.D. integration courses and MBA courses etc. to nurture 20,000 skilled workers for the robot industry by 2013.
However, industry experts insist that robot-related departments in educational institutions are on the increase in the meanwhile in Korea, but since these departments are oriented toward scientific education mostly, manpower production needed for actual industry activation is not being attained sufficiently.
'Approaching Robot, Sharing the Future!'
"Robot World 2006," with the slogan, "Approaching Robot, Sharing the Future!'" is scheduled to be held during the week of Oct. 18~ 22, 2006 in COEX, Seoul under the auspices of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Energy (MOCIE), Korea. With a view to promoting the robot boom and preparing an impetus to create robots as a new industry "Robot World 2006" will feature an international scale robot special exhibition.
 MOCIE officials responsible for 'Robot World 2006' said, " Robot World 2006 is designed to pave the way for a momentum for Korea to develop into a hub of the robot industry by fulfilling a robot technology hub role to be on a par with Japan's iREX (international scale's Intelligent model robot special exhibition which is held every two years in Japan)".
As MOCIE advances the robot project with a view to Korea becoming one of the three robot powers globally in the robot industry by 2013, the persons concerned, including the Korea Association of Robotics, Center for Robot Industry Promotion, The Institute of Control, Automation & Systems Engineers, Korea, COEX, Korea Association of Machinery Industry, Korea Machine Tool Manufacturer's Association, and Korea Advanced Intelligent Robot Association are doing their best to ensure that the global-level robot special exhibition may be held. It is hoped that substantial business will result, rather than a simple display as well as competition rally, an official from MOCIE involved in Robot Week's preparation underscored.
The media reported that this show would contribute to exchange activation between participating companies and buyers particularly through active matchmaking service, adding that the Ministry is garnering all capacities in realizing the robot industry's growth.
"Robot World 2006" will come to present the vision of the fast-approaching Robot age," an official of the Robot World 2006 Secretariat said, referring to the fact that this is the largest scale's robot exhibition at home to introduce world robot industry trends and to acquaint the world with Korea's robot industry.
Broadly viewed, "Robot World 2006" will consist of 'iRIS 2006 (International Robot Industry Show)', 'IRC 2006 ((International Robot Contest 2006), and KRC 2006 (Korea Robot Conference 2006). First off, iRIS 2006 will be comprised of robot pavilion for service, robot pavilion for manufacturing, robot parts, network robot pavilion, oversea country pavilions, growth engine pavilion, and the future pavilion. As a collateral event, Business Partner Plaza is expected to provide users with the optimal business environment through matchmaking between exhibition participants and buyers plus a ground for robot demonstration event.
IRC 2006, in which 1,500 people from 856 teams will take part, will be contested in the categories of Grand Challenge, Robotpiad, Humanoid, Robofest, Intelligent SoC Robot War, Robot Soccer, and so forth.
In the case of KRC 2006, 2,400 people from 20 countries will participate in it with programs such as global distinguished scholar invitation lecture, SICE-ICCAS 2006 connection screen conference, 2nd Korea-Japan Service Robot Workshop and International Intelligent Robot Industry Forum.
In a nutshell, MOCIE's "Robot World 2006" establishment is seen as an opportunity to boost interest in robots and this event's status by holding in one place various robot-associated events like robot contest rally, exhibition, seminar, etc.
Moreover, the Ministry plans to accelerate the robot industry's business by providing overseas buyers with business consultation opportunities with domestic robot companies.
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