The Ministry of Knowledge Economy announced the list of Korea's top 10 new technologies and technology companies, including Samsung Electronics and its 50- nanometer 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM chips.
Although the top 10 new technology products generated 1.9 trillion won in revenue in 2008, they are expected to reach 5.2 trillion won this year, a ministry spokesman said.
Grand Prize
Samsung Electronics
Samsung`s 50-nanometer 1 Gb DDR2 SDRAM product, which received the Grand Prize from the ministry, can reduce power usage by 50 percent and production costs by 15 percent compared to existing chips, the world's top maker of memory chips said. The world's semiconductor market is divided into system semiconductors and memory semiconductors. In the memory semiconductor market, Samsung Electronics has kept the No. 1 position for 15 years since 1993. In the world market, Samsung Electronics has created new-generation products in the DRAM sector every time with its advanced technology.
For instance, Samsung Electronics announced the development of the 1 Gb DDR2 SDRAM, which adopted a nanoscopic DRAM process for the first time in the world in 2006. In 2007, it acquired an Intel Validation certification for the first time in the industry, indicating its technology leadership. Samsung started producing the RAM, which will lead the global memory semiconductor market in the future, from the first half of 2008.
The 50-nanometer 1 Gb DDR2 SDRAM product is environmentallyfriendly and has low power consumption. In fact, its power consumption is a mere half that of existing products and it is highly applicable for products that require low power consumption such as servers and mobile phones. It is also ideal for applications that require high-end graphics.
The 50-nanometer 1 Gb DDR2 SDRAM is a realization of simplified metal processes and chip minimization. Samsung is expected to be able to have 15% more price competitiveness with this new technology.
Samsung exported $555 million worth of the chips in 2008 and expects the sales figures to rise to $4.2 billion this year with its market share climbing to 30.4 percent in 2009 from 28 percent in 2007.
Gold Prize
Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Co.
The Gold Prize was shared by three companies - Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Co., Kolon Industries, Inc. and Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
Chong Kun Dang was credited for its new manufacturing process of Atorvastatin, a medication that lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood. The market for Atorvastatin was worth 85 billion won in Korea and $13.7 billon overseas in 2007 and has posted an average annual growth of 20 percent, the company said.
However, it is difficult to secure raw materials for Atorvastatin at low costs because scores of global companies, including Pfizer, possess manufacturing patents. Accordingly, Chong Kun Dang has conducted an in-depth study about the possibility of smooth mobilization of raw materials for Atorvastatin and has strengthened its competitiveness through overseas technology exports.
As a result, it has succeeded in developing its own technology to produce highquality products through a simple manufacturing process.
The development of its own technology is expected to bring about several tens of billions of won in import substitution effects over the coming years, acquiring royalties from foreign companies and contributing to bolstering national competitiveness, a company spokesman said.
Chong Kun Dang, the sole company which produced Atorvastatin with its own technology, aims to post more than 10 billion won in revenue from sales of Lipilo, a drug made by the company based on its Atorvastatin technology, for the next three years. It is also considering exporting its technology to foreign countries, the spokesman said.
Chong Kun Dang sold 2 billion won worth of the products in 2008 and expects the sales figures to rise to 6 billion won in 2009 with its market share going up from 2 percent to 5 percent during the corresponding period.
Kolon Industries, Inc.
Kolon Industries, Inc. won a Gold Prize from the ministry for its PVDF coated reinforced hollow fiber and submerged module for large-scale water treatment called Cleanfil-S.
As the demand for clean and safe water is growing and environmental problems are emerging as a key issue, many countries, led by advanced nations, are trying to introduce advanced water treatment technology.
In line with this, Kolon has developed a new product, called Cleanfil-S, which is more competitive than foreign products in strength and hydrophilic properties. Theproduct can completely remove solid matter, including pathogenic microbes.
The Kolon product is widely recognized as a competitive product carrying the best technology for supplying safe water by removing pathogenic microbes, a company spokesman said.
Through the development of the new module manufacturing technology, Kolon is expected to enhance its international competitiveness in the global water treatment market.
At the same time, Kolon will greatly contribute to helping the country enjoy import substitution effects of core materials and expand its exports further, the spokesman said.
Kolon exported 2.5 billion won worth of the products in 2008 and expects the sales figures to increase to 7.5 billion won in 2009 with its market share soaring to 30 percent in 2009.
Samsung Heavy Industries
Samsung Heavy Industries received a Gold Prize for its development of its next generation North Sea drill ship.
The drill ship can conduct operations in extreme ocean environments where waves top 16 meters, wind speeds hit 41 meters per second and temperatures reach minus 20 degrees Celsius.
The development of the advanced ship has helped the company control 70 percent of the drill ship market and 100 percent of the market for drill ships operating in the North Sea.
Amid stiff competition among global oil majors to develop oil fields in the deep sea, Samsung Heavy Industries has developed a three-phase drill ship, including the next generation North Sea drill ship, effectively coping with changes in the global market.
Samsung Heavy Industries successfully advanced into the drill ship market through its development of first-generation single drilling products and has been leading the drill ship market with the development of second-generation dual drilling products.
However, as its global competitors recently attempted to advance into the market with drill ships similar to their second- generation product, Samsung recently developed a third-generation drill ship aimed at exploring oil fields in the North Sea.
The next generation North Sea drill ship, which was selected as the best technology product among Samsung Groupproduced goods in 2007, is a high value added product whose price reaches about $1 billion, the highest price in the domestic shipbuilding industry for a single product. It represents six times the price of a crude oil carrier VLCC and four times the price of large-scale LNG ship.
By maximizing effectiveness in design and production, Samsung Heavy Industries is greatly contributing to increasing the nation's exports, creating employment and activating the national economy, a Samsung spokesman said.
In particular, the company developed long drill string supply equipment to improve the efficiency of drilling projects, enabling Samsung to lead the development of future-oriented products including arctic drill ships, the spokesman said.
Samsung's sales of the products are expected to go up from $1 billion in 2008 to $2 billion in 2009 with its market share remaining unchanged at 100 percent in 2009.
Silver Prize
Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. won a Silver Prize from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy for its alternating current semiconductor light source Acriche.
Acriche is the world's first semiconductor lighting source using AC current without a converter. Acriche is environmentally friendly; however incandescent electric lamps and fluorescent lamps contain harmful material, like mercury and lead.
Acriche is a portmanteau of Acro, meaning the top, and Riche (French), meaning richness. It means SSC supports a better life through the world's top class LED.
General DC LEDs have polarity and can be driven only with low voltage, but Acriche can be used regardless of polarity. Widely different from existing DC LEDs, it can be used without driver circuits such as converters.
As the company maximized efficiency of the product by using its advanced chip technology and LED package technology, it is suitable for all lighting products.
It has strong competitiveness as a light source for next generation lighting because it boasts such merits as energy savings, cost reduction, and convenience of product design, a company spokesman said.
Seoul Semiconductor sold 5 billion won worth of products in 2008 and expects the sales figure to soar to 20 billion won with the market share soaring from 2.26 percent to 8 percent during the corresponding period.
S&S Tech
S&S Tech received a Silver Prize from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy for the world's first TM blankmask technology for the TFT-LCD/TM and blankmask for the TFT-LCD.
The company developed TM blankmask technology carrying newmaterials and new structure.
Blankmask is an indispensable material for photomasking that is essential for the manufacturing of semiconductors, TFTLCDs, color filters, and other things. Photomasking is process of forming a pattern with e-beams or optical equipment on a blankmask. Each pattern can be divided into transparent and opaque areas to allow selective transmission of incident light.
Blankmask builds up a pattern for photomasking and consists of a metal layer and resist film on glass substrate. Blankmask can divide into mainly two types, which are BIMs (Binary Masks) and PSMs (Phase Shift Masks).
S&S Tech developed the TM blankmask. This technology is expected to greatly contribute to improving productivity of TFT-LCD process and photomasking process while reducing costs, a company spokesman said.
With the development of the new technology, S&S Tech will help the country reduce its trade deficit with Japan and secure superiority in the global TFT-LCD market in terms of technology, he said.
S&S Tech sold 851 million won worth of its products in 2008 and the sales figures are expected to rise to 2.7 billion won in 2009 with the market share rising from 25 percent to 35 percent during the corresponding period.
Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company received a Silver Prize from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy for Avante LPI HEV development.
The Avante LPI HEV developed by the nation's biggest motor company is the world's first LPI hybrid vehicle equipped with environmentally-friendly functions and practicality.
The Avante is the world's first hybrid vehicle to be powered by liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and the first to adopt advanced lithium polymer batteries with its own hybrid technology.
Hyundai plans to roll out a gasolineelectric hybrid version of its sedans in 2010 and it will launch larger hybrid vehicles soon after that.
The Avante LPG Hybrid will be powered by a hybrid system that combines a combustion engine fueled by LPG and an electric motor powered by lithium ion batteries.
Meanwhile, the Avante hybrid will be powered by an LPI gamma engine displacing 1.6 liters, a 15kw electric motor and a continuously variable transmission. The Avante LPI hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) is a mild-type hybrid capable of delivering a competitive fuel economy rating.
The Avante LPI HEV is expected to be as much as 40 percent cheaper to operate than other competitor models in the marketplace and 50 percent less than a conventional Elantra model powered by a gasoline-only engine. Hyundai will launch the Avante LPG Hybrid in the Korean market in July 2009. Hyundai hopes to sell at least 50,000 units of Avante LPG hybrid annually in Korea.
In the meantime, Hyundai is considering exporting this Avante LPG hybrid to other countries where LPG filling stations are widely available. India is one of the important markets for Hyundai, so the Korean motor company may bring the Avante LPG hybrid to India too.
Hyundai hopes to sell 15 billion won worth of Avante LPI HEVs this year.
Dongjin Semichem
Dongjin Semichem won a Silver Prize from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy for EMI shielding mesh on glasses for PDP filters using the Gravuroffset printing method Advanced-mesh.
With the development of the mesh on glasses for PDP filters in the Gravur-offset printing method, the company succeeded in maximizing productivity through a speedier process and enhancing its price competitiveness.
As the product does not generate waste fluid in the course of processing, it is regarded as an environmentally-friendly good, a company spokesman said.
With the development of the new technology, Dongjin Semichem could become more competitive in the domestic PDP filter industry and is likely to greatly contribute to promoting the overall industrial competitive power of the domestic PDP industry, he said.
Dongjin Semichem is a manufacturer of semiconductors and electronic materials for flat panel displays and forming agents. Established in 1967, Dongjin Semichem became the No. 1 firm in the world in the area of forming agents, holding a 35 percent share of the international market.
Its sales of the products reached 2.5 billion won in 2008 and are expected to steadily go up to 17 billion won in 2009, 25 billion won in 2010 and 40 billion won in 2011.
Its market share is also likely to rise from 1.3 percent in 2008 to 4 percent in 2009, 6 percent in 2010, and further to 10 percent in 2011.
SFA Engineering Corp.
SFA Engineering Corp. received a Silver Prize from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy for G8 LCD glass scribing M/C.
G8 LCD glass scribing M/C is the facility to cut eighth-generation LCD panels by a fixed size. Its core technology is a scriber head equipped with scriber wheel cutting panels.
The company independently developed Voice Coil Motor (VCM) Heads with the highest responding speed by making the best use of VCM.
SFA Engineering has 10 kinds of patents registered with relevant government agencies and 17 IPs at home and abroad.
Among major achievements of the company are the development and commercialization of the eighth-generation glass scribing technology for LCDs, scribing with the VCM Heads, application of Breaking Systems by using Hot Air Thermal Shocks, application of glass rotation functions to improve quality and productivity, and application of side roller and guide bar to prevent wheel collision.
The products and services provided by SFA Engineering are based on worldclass technologies in mechatronics applications, software and computer applications, control and communications, highly reliable production, system engineering, and precision processing.
Its extensive experience and customerfirst mindset delivers innovative transportation and factory automation solutions that meet customers' needs, a company spokesman said.
The company's sales of the products increased from 9 billion won in 2007 to 20.7 billion won in 2008, and are likely to reach 30 billion won in 2009. Its market share is expected to rise from 42 percent in 2008 to 42.9 percent in the domestic market and from 17 percent to 40 percent in the overseas market during the corresponding period.
Infinitt Co., Ltd.
Infinitt Co., Ltd. won a Silver Prize from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy for the third generation medical imaging and information solution Infinitt Pacs.
Infinitt Pacs is a next-generation medical image solution developed in accordance with a new paradigm of Scan Thin, Read Thick. A web-based centralized solution that controls the entire system in a server, this product makes response quicker and maintenance simpler.
It is Korea's sole Web-based 2D/3D medical image information digital disposal solution, and provides medical teams with a ubiquitous environment under which doctors can diagnose patients anytime and anywhere.
Under close cooperation with relevant medical institutions, it also set up a distributed server system for patient convenience when moving.
The high technology power of Infinitt Pacs has been globally recognized as the product passed an International Healthcare Enterprise test where worldfamous medical equipment makers and medical information companies participate every year.
Infinitt Co. is supplying Infinitt Pacs in the domestic market in the form of new introduction, and replacement or upgrade of PACS. At the same time, the product is gaining high popularity among university and general hospitals in the United States, Japan, Europe and Asia.
Infinitt, founded in 1997, is a leading company that specializes in medical imaging and information. Based on select manpower and know-how accumulated since its establishment and the service of medical institutions at home and abroad, the company plans to satisfy customers' needs promptly and perfectly, a company spokesman said.
The company's product sales increased from 33 billion won in 2007 to 37 billion won in 2008 and are expected to soar to 42 billion won in 2009. Accordingly, its market share is likely to rise from 70 to 72 percent and again to 75 percent over the next two years.
