National semiconductor research institute should be established in Jeonnam-Gwangju, think tank says

A private think tank has called for the establishment of a national semiconductor research institute in the Jeonnam-Gwangju integrated special city to build a semiconductor industry ecosystem in the region.

Gwangju Jeonnam Future Vision issued a set of policy recommendations Tuesday to mark the 100th day of the Jeonnam-Gwangju integrated special city's mayoral administration, saying a national semiconductor research institute is needed to strengthen the region's semiconductor industry base.

The think tank said open research and demonstration infrastructure is needed — infrastructure that fabless companies and materials, parts and equipment firms can use alongside the large conglomerate-led semiconductor production facilities currently being developed in the area.

Under an investment plan the government announced in June, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are each set to build two semiconductor fabs in the Jeonnam-Gwangju integrated special city, for a total of four.

Chonnam National University, the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology are also working to cultivate semiconductor talent in the region. Gwangju Jeonnam Future Vision said the area lacks the foundation needed to support the full pipeline from research and development through prototype production and process verification.

The think tank proposed establishing the national semiconductor research institute as an open public foundry that would play a distinct role from the mass-production lines of large conglomerates.

The idea is to support fabless and materials, parts and equipment companies across the full process — from design through process verification and prototype production — for future semiconductors, including AI, mobility and energy chips as well as next-generation packaging.

Maeng Jong-seon, a research professor at Chonnam National University's Semiconductor Joint Research Institute, said existing government budget-dependent public fabs face limits in upgrading processes and linking with fabless mass production due to aging equipment and profitability constraints. He proposed a public-private cooperative fab combining private capital with public funding.

Lee Jong-ho, senior adviser at the Honam branch of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, said a public foundry fab is essential infrastructure for supporting fabless companies in prototype development and pilot production, and called for sustained medium- to long-term public sector support to ensure stable operations.

Moon Seung-hyun, former president of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, added that "semiconductors are a measure of national security that determines the country's future power and the quality of life of its people," and that "Jeonnam-Gwangju, with its ready infrastructure and favorable conditions for eco-friendly energy production, is the ideal location for a national semiconductor research institute."