As regarding staple outcome of 10 nextgeneration growth engine projects which will be finalized next year, our country's technology competitiveness was comprehensively improved thanks to national technology innovation system construction.
According to Swiss IMD national competitiveness ranking, Korea's technology competitiveness has been improving from the 21st place in 2000 through the 8th place in 2004 to the 6th place last year. Korea's science competitiveness too has been improving from the 20th place in 2000 through the 15th place in 2005 to the 12th place in the world last year.
Director General Kim Kyung-sik responsible for Technology Policy at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Energy (MOCIE) said during an exclusive interview with The Korea IT Times: "Through new technology-oriented strategic investment, next-generation growth engine project can assess to date to have prepared groundwork for boosting our economy's competitiveness and growth."
As a result, next-generation growth engine projects confirmed early industrialization possibility by developing a total of 85 pilot products such as WiBro, 40-inch AM-OLED TV, and 512M PRAM etc., according to Kim.
What's more, 10 field's world market share was improved from 11.5% in 2003 to 15.2% in 2006 and technology gap with advanced countries was shortened due to technology level improvement.
Remarkable research outcome
Regarding staple technology development outcome of next-generation growth engine projects to date as stated earlier, a total of 85 remarkable research outcomes were attained such as 512M PRAM, digital actor and hybrid auto as of 2007. For reference, hybrid car was developed for the second time in the world in 2004 at home and is expected to create annual 2 trillion won (US$2.13 billion) level market in 2012, starting from a small quantity's mass production in 2009.
Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) service was commenced from December 2005 in the hope of export US$67.4 billion and employment manpower 66,000 peoples over 8 years from 2005 through 2012.
AM-OLED pilot products for the largest 40 inch TV in the world also was developed on May, 2005 with a view to preparing a number one producing country's groundwork in the world in OLED field.
In the case of next-generation memory 512M PRAM (Phase-change Random Access Memory) developed on September 2006, annual 2 trillion won level's market is expected to be created since 2009, widening technology disparity with foreign competing companies even more through securing original and the source technology.
In reference to economic effect of nextgeneration growth engine projects in 10 industry field, director general Kim said: "Over three years from 2004 through 2006, patent application amounts to 4,803 cases plus patent registration 863 cases. In comparison with the highest level in the world as well, Korea's technology competitiveness has improved from 50~90% in 2003 to 70~95% in 2006."
Over three years, production amount and value-added amount have increased from 156.5 trillion won in 2003 to 244.4 trillion won in 2006 and from 73.28 trillion won in 2003 to 113.09 trillion won in 2006 respectively.
Kim added that world market share has increased from 11.5% in 2003 to 15.2% in 2006 and the export amount also rose from US$73.07 billion in 2003 to US$140.24 billion in 2006 thanks to next-generation growth engine business.
Core source technology development
Regarding current IT industry's phase and development possibility, the director general said proudly: "Korea's IT industry has accomplished electronics export US$100 billion for the fourth time in the world following Japan (1994), the US (1996) and China (2002). Memory semiconductor (49%), CDMA cellular phone (42%), and display (40.7%) led export US$100 billion accomplishment, accounting for world market share No.1 respectively."
Concerning IT industry's nurturing strategy, Kim said: "By boosting component and material industry's competitiveness, the Ministry will improve IT industry structure's constitution whose employment induction effect is low plus boosting value-added."
He, among others, kept an eye on developing the core & the source technology, committing himself to unearthing new product group by strengthening the core source technology development capacity of convergence technology field in which IT, BT, and NT are combined.
With regard to convergence new industry market's early activation, he said: "Educational-industrial-laboratorial experts and related ministries will construct close cooperation system so that market penetration barrier of convergence/complexity new industry such as IPTV, U-Health, ULearning, U-City and U-Logistics can be solved in an early date."
Director general Kim who assumed the responsibility of technology policy regarding next-generation growth engine project from April this year at MOCIE, commits himself to do his best during his tenure so that next next-generation growth engine projects can be soft landed alongside of developing the core source technology and nurturing human power.
As regards the core source technology field Korea will have to secure worldwide competitiveness, at the end of last year MOCIE has drawn out 78 Killer Applications from 20 industry fields such as bio, the future-model auto, and nextgeneration semiconductor by 2015, according to Kim.
78 Killer Applications include Flexible Display, digital convergence SoC (System on Chip) semiconductor, home service robot, Extreme Ocean Plant, Zero- Discharge production system and more, to name just a few.
Innovative, creative, convenient Korea
The government plans to invest 449 billion won (US$4.8 billion) in 2007 and 498.7 billion won (US$5.31 billion) in 2008 respectively about next-generation growth engine 10 projects.
To maintain next-generation growth engine project's continuity, the government decided to propel '15 Strategy Technology Development Project' for the sake of post next-generation growth engine creation from the year 2008. 15 strategy technology fields include semiconductor, display, car shipbuilding, textile clothes, chemistry processing material, metallic material, nextgeneration robot, digital convergence, bio, next-generation medical gadgets, production system, production groundwork, and knowledge service.
About strategic role assignment between the government and the private sector, the director general explains: "The government will come to concentrate its efforts on developing the core source technology, nurturing core manpower, preparing commercialization support ways and consolidating related institutions & laws whereas the private sector concentrates on initial market preoccupation through core technology development and commercialization by investing intensively in nextgeneration growth engine industry field."
Then, in case that next-generation growth engine industry will develop evenly, how will the Korean economy's features be shaped after 10 years The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy has presented Korean economy's vision after 10 years at the end of last year by means of 2015 Industry Technology Vision & Strategy.
According to this vision & strategy, next next-generation growth engine industry aims to enter into one of world economy 10 powers and one of industry 4 powers globally plus GDP US$35,000 per capita.
Director general Kim committed himself to actualize one of world economy 10 powers and one of industry four powers through key industry's Global Top, the future promising industry's technology preoccupation, and knowledge service industry's growth.
In 2015, he forecast that the major part of the future promising industry will equip themselves with the fifth place circle's competitiveness in the world such as knowledge-based service and intelligencemodel robot including existing shipbuilding and display.
According to these strategy goals, the future's Korea is expected to become innovative, creative, and convenient Korea.
