The government will designate 21 companies as new leading firms in the materials, parts, and equipment (MPE) sector this year to enhance technological competitiveness. Discussions will also focus on next-generation management inheritors and AI-driven process innovations in the root industry, which forms the foundation of manufacturing.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that the '2026 MPE-Root Technology Exhibition' will be held from October 28 to 30 at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. This event aims to share advanced technological achievements in the MPE and root industries and expand collaboration among companies.
The MPE-Root Technology Exhibition has been held annually since 2011 and features technology displays, business consultations, and an awards ceremony for materials and parts technology. This year's exhibition will showcase technologies and products from key advanced industries, including semiconductors, displays, and secondary batteries. Six exhibition halls will be set up, including those for innovative companies, networking between demand and supply firms, root industry information, and carbon neutrality.
Support programs will be available for companies at various growth stages, including technology consultations, purchasing consultations for demand companies, export consulting, and policy finance and private investment consultations.
On October 29, certificates will be awarded to the 21 companies designated as the sixth group of leading firms in the MPE sector. Leading companies possess core strategic technologies in MPE and have high potential for global growth. With the addition of this year's new designations, the total number of leading companies will rise to 120.
Newly designated companies include NeoSem, DI, MKP, Lake Materials, and Viatron in the semiconductor sector, as well as firms from various fields such as machinery and metals, displays, hydrogen, aerospace, and automotive.
Awards will also be presented to individuals who have contributed to the development of the industrial supply chain. This year, a total of 72 individuals will receive awards, including 20 government awards. Among them, Kim Byeong-seok, executive director of Hanmi Semiconductor, will receive the Silver Tower Industrial Medal for his contributions to achieving the world's top market share through the development of high-precision, high-efficiency TC bonder technology.
Baek Woo-hyun, executive director of Dongwoo Fine-Chem, will receive the Iron Tower Industrial Medal for his role in expanding the market and creating new businesses through the acquisition of glass-based ultra-fine and thin-film film touch sensor technology. Park Je-kyung, team leader at LG Innotek, will receive the Stone Tower Industrial Medal for his achievements in developing core technologies for autonomous driving and vehicle cameras.
Programs to support the inheritance of technology and management innovation in the root industry will also be conducted. The government has designated four companies—Samyoung MT, HFM, Sewang Textile, and Wonjin Aluminum—as 'Root Industry Heritage Companies' for successfully completing business succession after over 20 years of management. Additionally, five companies recognized for their excellent working conditions and growth capabilities will receive certificates as 'Good Root Companies.'
The 'Next Generation Leaders Forum for the Root Industry' will take place in the afternoon, where over ten next-generation managers from root companies will discuss challenges following business succession and process innovation strategies.
While the root industry relies on long-accumulated manufacturing technology and expertise, it faces challenges in adapting to changing industrial environments solely through the inheritance of existing technologies. The Ministry aims to share experiences of next-generation managers and AI-based process innovation cases to promote both technology inheritance and productivity improvement.
Yang Gi-wook, director of the Resource Security Policy Office at the Ministry, stated at the event, 'We will actively support technology development, corporate nurturing, and strengthening the collaborative ecosystem to enhance the competitiveness of the MPE and root industries, enabling us to leap forward as an irreplaceable industrial powerhouse. We will continue to identify second-generation managers who are voluntarily leading innovations in the root industry and carefully address the challenges they face in sustaining growth amid difficult external conditions.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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