"Idle Semiconductor Equipment from Companies to Be Utilized in Public Nano Fabs"... Strengthening the Public-Private Cooperation Ecosystem

KRW 7.5 Billion Support Project Launched for Used Equipment Utilization

The government will transfer idle equipment from semiconductor companies to public nano fabs and utilize them as infrastructure for semiconductor research and development.

On the 30th of last month, trainees preparing for employment in the semiconductor field are learning about key processes at the Semiconductor Fab in the Nano Convergence Technology Center located in Yuseong District, Daejeon. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced that First Vice Minister Gu Hyukchae attended the "DB Hitek-MOAFAB Used Equipment Transfer Agreement Ceremony" held in Eumseong County, Chungbuk Province, on August 6, 2026.

This event is part of the business agreement signed in March last year by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the three major semiconductor companies—Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and DB Hitek.

The Ministry discovered a public-private cooperation model that transfers and utilizes companies’ idle equipment to public nano fabs based on the "MOAFAB" platform. Public nano fabs are facilities that allow for research and development of nanotechnology, and the production of prototypes for materials and other items based on these technologies. Through the "MOAFAB Used Equipment Utilization Support Project," the government will provide support for the relocation and installation costs of corporate idle equipment from this year until 2033, with a total budget of KRW 7.5 billion.

Through this agreement, advanced used equipment provided free of charge by DB Hitek to MOAFAB participants will be installed at two institutions, including the Nano Integrated Technology Institute and the Nano Convergence Technology Institute, to support R&D and technology verification for core processes.

After the ceremony, Vice Minister Gu and other attendees toured DB Hitek's 8-inch foundry production line and discussed topics such as strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem through public-private cooperation, technical support for industrial application of public nano fab research results, and testbed support plans for materials, parts, and equipment.

Vice Minister Gu said, "We will steadily promote the used equipment utilization support project to upgrade the research support infrastructure of public nano fabs and foster advanced innovation in semiconductor and nano technology, as well as the professional workforce, so that both the research and industrial sectors can benefit."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.