South Korea adds robotics on list of national strategic technologies

Seoul, May 12 (IANS) South Korea has newly designated robotics and defence technologies as part of its portfolio of advanced technologies the country aims to strategically develop as new economic growth engines, the industry ministry said on Monday.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy posted a notification of designation of the two new national strategic technologies on the official gazette, bringing the total number of such technologies to 19.

Before the addition of robotics and defence, South Korea's list of national strategic technologies comprised eight semiconductor-related technologies, four related to displays, three concerning rechargeable batteries and two in biotechnology, reports Yonhap news agency.

In the robotics sector, the government picked the design, manufacturing and processing technology for humanoid robots capable of moving at speeds of at least 3.3 meters per second and carrying loads exceeding 20 kilograms.

Last year, the government announced a plan to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technologies to boost the competitiveness of the Korean humanoid robot technologies to a global top tier level by 2027.

In the defence sector, core materials and components technologies for advanced aircraft engines with a thrust of 15,000 pounds-force or more have been newly listed as strategic technology.

The advanced engines are considered core technology needed to develop next-generation fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles.

"To support the development of such technologies, the government plans to provide comprehensive support, including the establishment of specialised graduate schools, tax incentives to promote investment, and the development of necessary infrastructure," an official at the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Doosan Robotics reported its first-quarter net loss of 9.4 billion won (US$6.8 million), remaining in the red compared with a year ago.

The company said in a regulatory filing that it continued to post an operating loss of 12.1 billion won for the January-March period, compared with a loss of 6.9 billion won a year earlier. Revenue fell 51.5 percent to 5.3 billion won.

—IANS

na/