SEOUL, KOREA - The government will foster the robot industry as a strategic industrial sector by making private-public investment of 2.6 trillion won for the next five years. It set a goal of making it a 7-trillion-won industry by 2018, with 2.5 trillion won in exports by the same year. The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy held on July 25 a robot industry policy meeting at the Korea Technology Center in Seoul's Gangnam and announced a five-year plan to develop intelligent robots from this year to 2018.

 

Unlike the previous plan from 2009 that focused largely on creating the infrastructure for industry nurturing, the second five-year plan centered on expanding its area by actively pursuing technological fusion with other industrial sectors such as manufacturing, automotive, medical, rehabilitation, culture, defense, education, and oceanography.

 

The government will direct its resources to sub-areas with high growth potential such as rescue robots used in mining accidents, urban disasters, and hostage situations and healthcare robot. For example, the global market for rescue robots is forecast to grow to US$870 million by 2016 from $600 million in 2012. The market for healthcare robots caring for the elderly or patients is projected to rise to $160 million from $4 million during the same period.

 

Although not so visible to the public, Korea's robot industry has grown to a sizable level. The robot market in Korea was 2.2 trillion won last year, which is predicted to grow to 7.0 billion won by 2018. The exports will also more than triple to 2.5 trillion won from 740 million won during the same period.