[SIMTOS Story] Cutting-off & Welding, Press & Metal Forming (Hall10, KINTEX2)

Press & Metal Forming (Hall10, Kintex2)

YOUNGRIM ENGINEERING CO., LTD. – Launching various press automation facilities

 

 For 30 years YOUNGRIM ENGINEERING CO., LTD. who has specialized in press automation facilities would introduce ‘NC LEVELLER FEEDER’ possible that supplies materials up to 9~12T and showcase first ‘PRECISION LEVELLER’ integrating with technical skills. Also they would show   their main product ‘DOUBLE UNCOILER’ which could increase the productivity by reducing material input time. They plan to promote actively press automation facilities by showing optimized supply equipments.

 

Stand no. 10G745  Tel. +82-31-431-5453  Website www.youngrim.co.kr

 

Main Products NC LEVELLER FEEDER

 

Demand Industry  Shipbuilding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Amazing Korea] Innovation in Manufacturing 3.0 Strategy Needs Better Focus with Clearer Direction

Facilitated by a broad economic policy vision informed by the Manufacturing Industry Innovation 3.0 strategy, the concept of a smart factory in Korea has a collective meaning embracing automatization, data exchange and enhanced manufacturing technologies. The Manufacturing Industry Innovation 3.0 strategy is a component of the Creative Economy Industry Engine project, a flagship economic policy of the Park Geun-hye administration that aims to tackle many challenges surrounding the Korean manufacturing industry. It generally refers to the computerization of manufacturing. Broad in focus, the strategy in general and smart factories in particular tend to miss out on the technological challenges faced by Korean manufacturing companies. In order to effectively address the technological and economic issues surrounding the manufacturing industry in Korea, the policy needs a more technologically and economically focused approach.

Officially launched in June 2014, the Manufacturing Industry Innovation 3.0 strategy is part of the Park Geun-hye administration’s flagship policy of the Creative Economy that aims to introduce innovation to the manufacturing process, including expanding the use of smart factories and developing core technologies related to the Internet of Things (IoT), 3-D printing and Big Data. Big Data refers to data processing, data collecting and data sharing that can be used for data analysis and prediction.

The policy also aims at dealing with many associated economic and social challenges surrounding the Korean manufacturing industry.

Externally, Korea’s major manufacturing sectors of shipbuilding, automotive, electronics, chemicals and steel have been faced with challenges such as the rise of China as a manufacturing powerhouse and the weakening of the Japanese yen.

Internally, many local Korean manufacturing companies have suffered from low productivity and efficiency.

For such reasons, according to a recent survey released by British financial information provider Markit, the purchase of manufacturing index (PMI) of the Korean manufacturing industry ranks 24 out of the 28 countries surveyed, posting PMI scores of 47.6.

In fact, the growth rate of the manufacturing sector during Q2 2015 was reduced to 0.4 percent, and the size of exports has decreased by 14.8 percent compared to the same period last year, recording US$3.933 million in value. This marks the lowest point after the global financial crisis of August 2008. Products are stacked on the shelves with the in-stock rate standing at 129.2 percent, the highest in the 2000s.

Facing these challenges, the government introduced the Manufacturing Industry Innovation 3.0 strategy that has a broad reach. The strategy largely consists of three sub-strategies that include the creation of new manufacturing featuring industrial convergence, enhancement of the major segments, and advancement of industrial infrastructure for innovation. The policy also aims to raise 1 trillion won (US$972 million) and set up 10,000 smart factories by 2020 to facilitate convergence between software and hardware technologies.

At the same time, the government plans to foster the growth of those segments combining manufacturing with information technology, examples of which include the incorporation of information technology into the energy management and industrial safety sectors. Also, the core material and component development, engineering, design and software segments receive concentrated policy support.

Given the discrepancy in wealth and technological development between large companies and their secondary and tertiary subcontractors, the Manufacturing Industry Innovation 3.0 strategy puts special emphasis on the growth of the latter to spread wealth, going beyond a mere focus on the enhanced automatization of manufacturing.

The Manufacturing Industry Innovation 3.0 strategy is also a response to the global trend of government-level initiatives to support upgrading and transforming traditional manufacturing.

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008, governments around the world put a renewed emphasis on manufacturing as a way out of the financial crisis. Most notably, governments in Germany, the U.S., and China launched a policy focusing on transforming and upgrading the manufacturing industry.

As part of the German government’s High-Tech Strategy 2020 Action Plan, the Germen government launched a policy in 2012 named Industry 4.0, which promotes the computerization of manufacturing. The policy specifically focuses on the technological advancement of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), or well-developed systems of collaborating computational software that controls physical entities, the Internet of Things and the Internet of Services.

In September 2013, U.S. President Obama introduced the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP 2.0) to secure U.S. leadership in emerging technologies that will create high-quality manufacturing jobs and enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers.

In May this year, China’s State Council unveiled a 10 year plan to upgrade the nation’s manufacturing capacity so that it can catch up with production powerhouses like Germany and the U.S., and fend off competition from other developing countries. The Ministry of Industry and Telecommunication Technology (MIIT) in China took charge of leading the creation of the “Made in China 2025” plan, which put the focus on 10 sectors, including high-end computerized machinery and robotics, aerospace equipment, renewable-energy cars and medicine.

To be clear, smart factories aren’t just the automatization of the manufacturing process. Rather, it refers to a factory where all components are organically connected to each other with an intelligent operating system based on the Internet of Things. The concept of a smart factory basically refers to a future model of factories, which is expected to kick into high gear by 2020, with 30 percent higher productivity than in current factories.

Globally, multinational companies like Siemens and GE enjoy the most technologically sophisticated levels of smart factory systems in the world. Domestically, LS Industrial System (LSIS) and POSCO enjoy the most sophisticated levels of smart factory technologies.

With rapidly advancing ICT, manufacturing environments are changing from old, rigid centralized systems to module-based flexible, decentralized a
nd automatically controlled systems. This change is also looking for ways to build highly efficient and intelligent factories that can connect machines and people through Internet services in convenient and safe workplaces.

As such, developing a highly sophisticated smart factory is possible with CPS. Today, a precursor to a CPS can be found in areas like aerospace, automotive, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, entertainment and consumer appliances.


Although the level of technological development varies across sectors and companies, most SMEs in Korea are in their infant stage and require further technological development to reach higher technological sophistication, especially, the Internet of Things and Big Data. Given the much-needed initial investment for SMEs with low technological competencies and low budgets to be more effective, the current government policy and large corporate efforts to help SMEs need a more focused approach and a specific direction.

Source : http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/english/features/special-reports/13060-smart-factory-innovation-manufacturing-30-strategy-needs-better-focus

[Monthly SIMTOS]SIMTOS to embrace the Middle East against the sandstorm!

SIMTOS to embrace the Middle East against the sandstorm!

- 20 buyers who have strong purchasing power from the Middle East to be invited to SIMTOS 2016

- Promotional stands to be installed in both Korea and UAE for the first time

- 3 Cooperative meetings with the exhibition organizers of metal manufacturing equipment from UAE and Egypt finished 

>> SIMTOS 2016 to be a Silk Road of exhibitors to export their products

The Secretariat has been inviting buyers who have strong purchasing power from rising countries as well as advanced countries to expand the market for exhibitors. In specific, the Secretariat has been networking with new buyers and exhibition organizers from all around the world, mainly popular countries among exhibitors. As one of their efforts to network, the Secretariat sent a delegation to UAE and Egypt from November 23^th to 27^th. The delegation had meetings with exhibition organizers to invite buyers from the Middle East.

As a result of the meetings, the exhibition organizers of UAE has decided to send 20 people as a visitors group and install promotional stands at their exhibitions for promoting SIMTOS and so has those of Egypt while the delegation of SIMTOS 2016 has agreed to participate in related exhibitions in the next January UAE and manage promotional stands for the first time in the Middle East. In other words, each country’s promotional activities will happen in both Korea and Middle East so that SIMTOS will make its position as a gate of entering into Korean machine tool and other markets.

>> SIMTOS are ready to become a legend of winning contracts of metal manufacturing machines against the sandstorm!

The delegation has found that Hallyu (the Korean wave) in machine tools and metal manufacturing machine is real thing in the Middle East. It is said that the Korean equipment is well known for its reasonable price and outstanding quality among those who used to use European metal manufacturing machines.

The Secretariat considers the meetings in the Middle East as an opportunity in the market where there has been visible increase of interest in manufacturing industry caused by growth of demand in heavy equipment. For exhibitors, it could be a chance to export their products to the Middle East and it could be a chance to establish networks with related overseas exhibition organizers for the Secretariat itself.

The Secretariat will support various marketing activities to make SIMTOS2016 become a Silk Road to the Middle East since the possibility of import and export of cutting-off machines and welding machines rather than metal cutting tool whose demand is stable in advanced countries is expected to grow.

>> SIMTOS is a certified check, Come and grab a chance of targeting the Middle East market.

There has been an early move to vitalize exporting and pioneer new markets through SIMTOS. For example, the Secretariat provides the ‘Online matching program’ and the program is called ‘Matchmaking4U (MM4U).’ It enables exhibitors and buyers to meet on the day of the exhibition after sharing information on interesting products online so that they can have effective business meetings. The program is designed to allow advance matchmaking between each exhibitor and buyer. Each of them chooses crucial information to find the optimal partner and check requirements for contracts. It leads to increase in the feasibility of actual contracts on the spot of the exhibition.   

The 17^th SIMTOS 2016 is schedule to be held from April 13^th to 17^th (5 days) at KINTEX, Korea. It is estimated that the exhibition will have approximately 6,200 stands of 1,000 companies from 35 countries. Visitors can register online in advance. For detailed information, visit the SIMTOS website (www.simtos.org)   

Korean Machine Tool Market Trend in October

Koean Machine Tool Market Status (October, 2015)

 
☐ (Orders) ‘15. October  Machine Tool Order ￦1,968B(MoM -5.8%, YoY -34.4%)
o (Domestic Orders) ￦1,347B(MoM -4.8%, YoY -15.4%),
   (Export Orders) ￦621B(MoM +8.0%, YoY -56.0%)

o (By product)
NC Metal Cutting(￦1,532B, MoM -8.4%)
Metal Cutting (￦107B, MoM +6.5%), 
Metal Forming(￦ 328B, MoM +3.7%)

o (By industry)
Automobile(￦532B, MoM -25.6%),
Steel‧Nonferrous Metal(￦85B, MoM +226.5%), 
Machinery(￦205B, MoM -5.7%),
Electric‧Electronics‧IT(￦163B, MoM +23.7%)

*Metal products(￦136B, MoM +48.9%), Shipbuilding‧Aviation(￦83B, MoM +41.7%),
 Precision Machinery(￦15B, MoM +64.4%)

o Machine Tool Orders(January ~ October) ￦27,856B(YoY -10.4%)
 (Domestic Orders) ￦ 14,288 B, YoY -8.6%,
 (Export Orders) ￦13,569B, YoY -12.3%

☐ (Production) ‘15, October Machine Tool Production ￦2,659B(MoM +11.2%, YoY +3.6%),
   Shipment ￦2,637B(MoM +7.0%, YoY -12.1%)

o Machine Tool Production(January~October, 2015) ￦28,672B(YoY +2.5%)
o Machine Tool Shipment(January~October, 2015) ￦27,575B(YoY -3.1%)

☐ (Exports, October, '15) $192M(MoM +24.6%, YoY +12.6%)
o Sub total of Exports (Jan.~October, '15) $1,976M(YoY +8.2%)

- By Region
Asia($905M, YoY+10.8%), North America($334M, YoY -3.2%), Europe($424M, YoY -17.3%), Central and South America($262M, +179.4%)

*ratio of Exports(‘15.Jan.~October) by region : Asia(45.8%), Europe(21.5%), North America(16.9%)Central and South America(13.3%)

☐ (Imports, October, '15)$105M(MoM +1.7%, YoY -7.4%)

o Sub total of Imports (Jan.~ October, '15) $1,178M(YoY -4.6%)

- Asia($789M, YoY +0.7%), North America($49M, YoY -7.1%),
 Europe($330M, YoY -16.5%)

*ratio of Imports(‘15.Jan.~October) by region : Asia(67.0%), Europe(28.0%),
 North America(4.2%)

*￦ : Korea Won, $ : US dollar, B= Billion,  M=Million

[Monthly SIMTOS] SIMTOS 2016 to be a 'Bridge' between Exhibitors and Visitors

SIMTOS, to be a 'Bridge' between Exhibitors and Visitors
- Step 1: 70% of exhibitors have finished online registration of their products and marketing information!
- Step 2: Visitors can register their marketing information from now on!

 

 The secretariat of SIMTOS, Korea Machine Tool Manufacturers' Association
(KOMMA, as follows the secretariat), has stated that it is going to open online marketing information registration for visitors as of November 18th since the online marketing information registration for exhibitors has come to the finish. The secretariat has developed a distinguished online matchmaking program. The program is designed to create business environment where both exhibitors and visitors share information and find each other easily and spontaneously. ‘Online marketing registration for exhibitors’ is one of the secretariat's efforts to make the exhibition more prosperous. It is said that 70% of 675 exhibitors have registered their information.

>> Evolving Matchmaking4U*, connecting online and offline
 It is expected that approximately 800 exhibitors and 100,000 visitors from all over the world will attend the biggest market place of manufacturing technology, SIMTOS. Both exhibitors and visitors will be exploring each other's products and technology to make business opportunities. Unfortunately, 5 days are not enough time to increase business possibility. That is why the secretariat has been making its effort to be a bridge between exhibitors and visitors. From 2014, the secretariat has launched its unique business meeting program, 'Matchmaking4U.' The program connects visitors to exhibitors so that exhibitors can make profits and go overseas. 

 In 2016, the secretariat has developed its own online matchmaking program to enable both exhibitors and visitors find each other easily and spontaneously. Each exhibitor and visitor enter their information online including interesting products, handling products and industrial fields and share the information to consider business possibility before the exhibition. It will lead to effective matching environment on the exhibition day. 

 * MatchMaking4U is an acronym of MatchMaking for you. It means a customized business meeting
   program of SIMTOS.

>> Online marketing information registration for SIMTOS exhibitors has successfully finished !

  As the first attempt to make a‘participation-oriented’exhibition, the secretariat has opened a service called ‘Online marketing information registration for exhibitors' and the number of exhibitors is 675.

  According to the analysis of online marketing information registration for exhibitors, 469 exhibitors, equivalent of 70% of exhibitors, has registered information such as handling products, interesting buyers, industry demand, bilingual ability and the person in charge. It is an indicator of change that exhibitors recognize the exhibition as an unmissable chance to find optimal partners effectively.

<Status of SIMTOS 2016 exhibitors' marketing information registration (as of 2015.11.17)>

Themed Pavilion	Ratio of Registration	Total
Metal Cutting & Die ·Mold Working Pavilion	69.3%
Part, Materials & Motion Controls Pavilion	79.1%
CAD/CAM, Measuring Systems, Automation and Robotics Pavilion	66.4%
Tools & Related Equipment Pavilion	69.6%
Cutting off & Welding Pavilion	53.6%
Press & Metal Forming Pavilion	43.8%	69.4%

 As you can see, 69% of companies which handle Machine Tool and Metal Cutting equipment have registered. 66% are from CAD/CAM, Measuring Systems, Automation companies and 70% are from Part, Materials & Motion Controls. Especially, Part, Materials & Motion Controls has reached almost 80%. It shows that exhibitors of every themed pavilion are highly interested in the pre-marketing process.

>> Industry demand has expanded to the whole aspects of manufacturing industry including automobile, electronics, ship-building, aerospace and heavy equipment

 The analysis also shows exhibitors' industry demand and opinion on visitors. The most popular industry demand was industrial machine and metal die·mold working several years ago. However, 32% of respondents has revealed that they are in demand for electronic, ship-building, aerospace and heavy equipment, saying that it is evenly distributed in the whole manufacturing industry.

 The thing is that market place has been expanded to medical, home appliance, military, energy and construction industry as well as representative manufacturing industry. The industry account for 29% of the whole business demand which means that both exhibitors and visitors have been diversified.

>> ‘Now, exhibitors' turn’online marketing information registration for domestic visitors has started! 
  As online marketing information registration for exhibitors has come to the finish, the secretariat has started the second step of online business platform, online information registration for visitors, which is subjected to those who registered in advance from this month. Visitors who registered in advance are required to enter the purpose of visit, industrial fields, bilingual ability and interesting products on the SIMTOS 2016 website or though the link in the mail sent from the secretariat.

The platform of the secretariat's online counselling system is as follows
① Enter the marketing information for exhibitors → ② Enter the marketing information for visitors → ③ Exhibitors' information share and promotion of exhibit products → ④ Matching between‘handling products-interesting products or related industry-demanding industry’

Once marketing information registration for both exhibitors and visitors is finished, full-scale matchmaking platform is completed. It is a bridge between exhibitors and visitors and also a competitive matchmaking infrastructure.

SIMTOS 2016 is to be held from April 13th to 17th (5 days) in 2016 at KINTEX. If you have registered in advance, you can apply for participation online. For detailed information, please visit the SIMTOS website (www.simtos.org) or call 1599-2721.

 

Korean Machine Tool Market Trend in September

Korean Machine Tool Market Status (September, 2015)

 

☐ (Orders) ‘15. September  Machine Tool Order ￦2,089B(MoM +10.4%, YoY -34.6%)
o (Domestic Orders) ￦1,414B(MoM +14.3%, YoY -10.7%),
   (Export Orders) ￦675B(MoM +3.1%, YoY -58.1%)

o (By product)
NC Metal Cutting(￦1,672B, MoM +10.4%)
Metal Cutting (￦101B, MoM +35.0%), 
Metal Forming(￦ 317B, MoM +65.7%)

o (By industry)
Automobile(￦716B, MoM +35.4%),
Steel‧Nonferrous Metal(￦26B, MoM -73.3%), 
Machinery(￦217B, MoM -9.4%),
Electric‧Electronics‧IT(￦132B, MoM +2.2%)

*Metal products(￦91B, MoM +12.2%), Shipbuilding‧Aviation(￦59B, MoM +6.6%),
 Precision Machinery(￦42B, MoM +269.8%)

o Machine Tool Orders(January ~ September) ￦28,091B(YoY -7.8%)
 (Domestic Orders) ￦ 12,941 B, YoY -7.8%,
 (Export Orders) ￦12,948B, YoY -7.9%

☐ (Production) ‘15, September Machine Tool Production ￦2,391B(MoM -3.7%, YoY -14.8%),
   Shipment ￦2,465B(MoM -12.6%, YoY -18.4%)
o Machine Tool Production(January~September, 2015) ￦26,013B(YoY +2.4%)


☐ (Exports, September, '15) $154M(MoM -25.2%, YoY -33.0%)
o Sub total of Exports (Jan.~September, '15) $1,784M(YoY -25.2%)

- By Region
Asia($815M, YoY+10.3%), North America($293M, YoY -5.4%), Europe($337M, YoY -19.5%), Central and South America($254M, +196.0%)

*ratio of Exports(‘15.Jan.~September) by region : Asia(45.7%), Europe(21.1%), North America(16.4%)Central and South America(14.2%)

☐ (Imports, September, '15)$104M(MoM -1.2%, YoY -18.0%)

o Sub total of Imports (Jan.~ September, '15) $1,073M(YoY -4.3%)

- Asia($708M, YoY +0.9%), North America($45M, YoY -8.7%),
 Europe($313M, YoY -14.6%)

*ratio of Imports(‘15.Jan.~September) by region : Asia(65.7%), Europe(29.4%),
 North America(4.3%)

*￦ : Korea Won, $ : US dollar, B= Billion,  M=Million

Korea Machine Tool Market Trend in August

Korean Machine Tool Market Status (August, 2015)

☐ (Orders) ‘15. August Machine Tool Order ￦1,893B(MoM -14.8%, YoY -32.9%)
o (Domestic Orders) ￦1,238B(MoM -3.5%, YoY -21.1%),
   (Export Orders) ￦655B(MoM -30.4%, YoY -47.8%)

o (By product)
NC Metal Cutting(￦1,627B, MoM -16.7%)
Metal Cutting (￦74B, MoM +19.7%), 
Metal Forming(￦ 191B, MoM -8.2%)

o (By industry)
Automobile(￦528B, MoM +3.3%),
Steel‧Nonferrous Metal(￦98B, MoM +32.0%), 
Machinery(￦240B, MoM +15.5%),
Electric‧Electronics‧IT(￦129B, MoM -7.9%)

*Metal products(￦81B, MoM -20.2%), Shipbuilding‧Aviation(￦55B, MoM -23.7%),
 Precision Machinery(￦11B, MoM -63.4%)

o Machine Tool Orders(January ~ August) ￦23,800B(YoY -4.4%)
 (Domestic Orders) ￦ 11,527 B, YoY -7.4%,
 (Export Orders) ￦12,273B, YoY -1.4%


☐ (Production) ‘15, August Machine Tool Production
     ￦2,483B(MoM -13.9%, YoY -7.7%),
    Shipment ￦2,819B(MoM +8.8%, YoY +3.6%)
o Machine Tool Production(January~August, 2015) ￦23,621B(YoY +4.6%)


☐ (Exports, August, '15) $205M(MoM -18.8%, YoY +5.5%)
o Sub total of Exports (Jan.~August, '15) $1,631M(YoY +14.4%)

- By Region
Asia($735M, YoY+14.9%), North America($269M, YoY -1.1%), Europe($338M, YoY -15.0%), Central and South America($247M, +245.4%)

*ratio of Exports(‘15.Jan.~August) by region : Asia(45.1%), Europe(20.7%), North America(16.5%)Central and South America(15.1%)

☐ (Imports, August, '15)$105M(MoM -23.2%, YoY -5.7%)
o Sub total of Imports (Jan.~ August, '15) $969M(YoY -2.5%)

- Asia($637M, YoY +2.8%), North America($42M, YoY -8.4%),
 Europe($285M, YoY -12.8%)

*ratio of Imports(‘15.Jan.~August) by region : Asia(65.7%), Europe(29.4%),
 North America(4.3%)
*￦ : Korea Won, $ : US dollar, B= Billion,  M=Million

SIMTOS Newletter July - Amazing Korea

1. Machine Tool Market Trend in June

 

☐ (Orders) ‘15. June Machine Tool Order ￦2,635B(MoM +6.0%, YoY -6.0%)

o (Domestic Orders) ￦1,721B(MoM +33.5%, YoY +19.2%),

   (Export Orders) ￦914B(MoM -23.6%, YoY -32.8%)

o (By product)

NC Metal Cutting(￦2,148B, MOM -3.2%)

Metal Cutting (￦80B, MOM +8.4%),

Metal Forming(￦ 407B, MOM +112.8%)

o (By industry)

Automobile(￦818B, MoM +95.3%),

Steel‧Nonferrous Metal(￦115B, MoM +39.5%),

Machinery(￦279B, -14.2%), Electric‧Electronics‧IT(￦157B, MoM -10.8%)

*Metal products(￦75B, +1.4%), Shipbuilding‧Aviation(￦87B, +33.1%),

Precision Machinery(￦31B, +10.1%)

o Machine Tool Orders(January ~ June) ￦19,573B(YoY +1.8%)

(Domestic Orders) ￦9,006B, -5.6%,

(Export Orders) ￦1,567B, +9.0%

 

□ (Production)

‘15, June Machine Tool Production ￦3,015B(MoM -4.3%, YoY -2.4%),

Shipment ￦2,935B(MoM +6.0%, YoY -3.0%)

o Machine Tool Production(January~June, 2015) ￦18,254B(YoY +8.1%)

 

☐ (Exports, May, '15) $176M(MoM -39.2%, YoY -6.8%)

o Sub total of Exports (Jan.~May, '15) $954M(YoY +11.2%)

- By Region

Asia($417M, +9.3%), North America($158M, -9.2%), Europe($200M, -14.2%)

Central and South America($152M, +269.0%)

*ratio of Exports(‘15.Jan.~May) by region : Asia(43.7%), Europe(21.0%),

North America(16.6%), Central and South America(15.9%)

 

☐ (Imports, May, '15)$126M(MoM +3.5%, YoY -34.8%)

o Sub total of Imports (Jan.~May, '15) $592M(YoY -3.9%)

- Asia($417M, +9.3%), North America($158M, -9.2%), Europe($200M, -14.2%)

Central and South America($152M, +269.0%)

 

 

 

2. Korea-EU to Cooperate on 90 Billion Won Projects in Nano, Bio, Energy, ICT

 

 South Korea and the E.U. will conduct a joint research project worth 90 billion won

(US$80 million). Korea is aiming to expand cooperation for the “creative economy” using the E.U.'s capabilities in science technology and research infrastructure. The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) announced that it held a fifth meeting of the EU-Korea joint committee on science technology at the Plaza Hotel in Seoul on June 15, together with the E.U.'s Directorate General of Research and Innovation (DG R&I). The DG R&I is in charge of the European Commission's research and innovation policies and the E.U.’s new research and innovation program called “Horizon 2020.” Lee Suk-joon, the first vice minister at the MSIP, and Robert-Jan Smits, Director-General of DG R&I, attended the event as the head of each delegation. The details of the joint research program, including the budget, was fully fleshed out at the meeting, and is expected to start this or next year. By area, 65.5 billion won (US$58.6 million) will be invested in nanotech, 5 billion won (US$4.5 million) in biotech, 4 billion won (US$3.6 million) in energy, and 15 billion won (US$13.4 million) in the ICT sectors.

 

 

source : http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/article/11049/joint-research-korea-eu-cooperate-90-billion-won-projects-nano-bio-energy-ict#sthash.GvN3mGFw.dpuf

 

 3. Korean Gov't to Invest 100 Billion Won in IoT Testbed Projects

 

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
25 June 2015 - 1:15pm
Jung Suk-yee

 

 

 

 

 The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) has decided to pursue testbed projects in the category of the Internet of Things (IoT) with a more than 100 billion won (US$90 million) investment. The MSIP announced that it held a meeting to report the initiation of IoT testbed projects at its global R&D center near Seoul on June 24. The projects are aimed to create results in the “creative economy,” as part of the three year plan for K-ICT strategy and economic innovation. IoT testbed projects are large-scale projects designed to lead the growth of the convergence market by fusing IoT infrastructure and technology in such core areas as autos, health care, energy, urban life, and factories, and to facilitate the development and earlier commercialization of new products and services. The government agency is going to start seven IoT testbed projects – two projects to build 2 testbed research complexes and five convergence testbed projects – with an investment of 108.5 billion won (US$97 million) over the next three years, including 33.7 billion won (US$30.4 million) in 2015. 

SOURCE : http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/article/11176/internet-govt-things-korean-govt-invest-100-billion-won-iot-testbed-projects#sthash.PvOqoy0U.dpuf



 

 4. Korean Tech Firms Bet Big on Smart Heath Care

 

 

 

Wednesday, June 10th, 2015

By Monica Youn-soo Chung (monica@koreaittimes.com)

 Korean tech firms including Samsung Electronics are ramping up efforts to take the lead in digital health care market by joining hands with medical centers.

However, the growth is still slow due to burdensome regulations and lack of infrastructure.
The Korea Health Industry Development Institute estimated that around 12 million people in their 20s to 60s used smart health care service last year in Korea, and the local market reached 3 trillion won. The global digital healthcare-related market is expected to surge to $26 billion by 2017, up from $2.5 billion in 2013, according to the latest report by the state-run Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade.

Among Korean tech firms, Samsung Electronics is the most passionate in the digital health care market. Since the smartphone giant announced its “Vision 2020” in 2009, it has continued to concentrate on developing U-health care and medical devices. Last May, it announced “Samsung Digital Health Initiative” in San Francisco and unveiled SAMI (Samsung Architecture for Multimodal Interactions), an open data platform gathering and analyzing bio information and also launched Simband, a health tracking gadget.

Samsung said it would ramp up efforts on the research and development on analyzing health care data linked to SAMI and Simband in partnership with medical centers.
Samsung’s rival LG Electronics also unveiled its wearable heath care device LG Lifeband Touch, which is currently selling in the U.S. market. The new fitness band is a battery-powered smartwatch-type device that users wear around their wrist to monitor the number of calories they’re burning each day. It also rolled-out earphones measuring users’ heart rate while working out.

Korea’s telecom operators SKT, KT and LG Uplus are also boosting efforts to create revenue from the medical market by capitalizing on their ICT technical know-how. The nation’s two largest carriers SKT and KT already teamed up with Korea’s top hospitals, and created joint ventures Health Connect and Hooh Health Care respectively.
Health Connect is targeting business-to-consumer market based on its Health-On, a mobile-based health management service while Hooh Health is focusing on business-to-business such as integrated medical information system solution and e-MarketPlace.
Two companies haven’t shown any tangible performance last year but they plan to continue the research and development this year.

Korea’s third largest mobile carrier LG Uplus teamed up with Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine, the first time for the hospital of Korean medicine to partner with a telecom company. Two organizations are expected to unveil smart health care IoT solution for spine health this year.

Apart from tech firms, Korea’s large hospitals also joined the digital health care services. Some hospitals already unveiled mobile apps which let users make reservation and check results. Konkuk University Medical Center has run its smart U-health care system since 2010 and Seoul Paik Hospital made Health Avatar Beans, an app to manage blood dialysis, allowing patients to more efficiently manage their medical information.

However, some analysts say more relaxed regulations are necessary for the development of smart health care development. For the technologies and services centering on smart health care, there are too many rules and regulations, according to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.

In South Korea, telemedicine is still illegal. The revision bill allowing telemedicine was sent to the National Assembly but never passed due to the strong opposition from doctors. One tech company developed telemedicine service for chronic diabetes patients for a decade, but it was disappeared on the market due to the lack of relevant laws and infrastructure.
The prohibition to make investment in hospitals is another factor, which drags the industry behind. “Though smart healthcare services such as telemedicine require a long-term investment and clinical demonstration, the development is not active due to the prohibition of investment,” a market observer said.

 SOURCE : http://www.koreaittimes.com/story/50476/korean-tech-firms-bet-big-smart-heath-care