SemiVoice

July 3

• Ho-Am Foundation Holds Special Lecture by Nobel Laureate and Samsung Ho-Am Prize Winner in Busan

  ➀ Ho-Am Foundation organizes a lecture in Busan featuring 2023 Nobel Chemistry laureate Moungi Bawendi (MIT) and 2012 Samsung Ho-Am Prize winner Hyun Taek-Hwan (Seoul National University), focusing on quantum dots and nanotechnology;

  ➀ The event, free with prior registration, will be streamed on YouTube, marking the start of a nationwide lecture series;

  ➂ Aimed at inspiring youth through exposure to global scientific leaders, as emphasized by foundation chairman Kim Hwang-sik.

• HMM to Expand Algeciras Terminal in Spain

  ➀ HMM announced plans to invest €35 million (approximately $37.5 million USD) in expanding its TTIA container terminal in Algeciras, Spain, with a total project cost of €150 million (~$161 million USD), including contributions from CMA CGM and external financing.

  ➀ The expansion aims to increase the terminal’s area from 300,000㎡ to 460,000㎡ and annual handling capacity from 1.6 million TEU to 2.1 million TEU by 2028, with a potential second phase raising capacity to 2.8 million TEU. The operating period is extended to 2065.

  ➂ HMM emphasized the terminal’s role as a key European transshipment hub and plans to continue strategic investments in overseas terminals to enhance competitiveness.

• TEL Korea Holds In-House E-Sports Tournament

  ➀ Tokyo Electron (TEL) Korea hosted its 2025 TEL Cup in-house e-sports tournament to strengthen employee communication and engagement;

  ➁ The event aimed to appeal to younger employees through gaming, fostering teamwork and relieving work-related stress;

  ➂ Participants described the experience as an opportunity to bond with colleagues through friendly competition

• DS Danseok Announces 2030 Vision for Global Top-Tier Resource Recycling Energy Enterprise on 60th Anniversary

  ➀ DS Danseok declared its 2030 vision to become a global top-tier resource recycling energy company, aiming for **3 trillion KRW (approximately $2.3 billion)** in revenue by expanding into bioenergy (HVO/SAF), recycled plastics (PCR), and ESS/MMR sectors;

  ➁ The company plans to diversify into hydrogen energy, e-Fuel, and non-ferrous metal refining while pursuing strategic M&A to strengthen its value chain;

  ➂ DS will enhance ESG governance, implement AI-driven digital transformation, and deploy carbon reduction strategies across all processes.

• EcoPro Founder Lee Dong-chae: 'We Must Find a Breakthrough Through Product Line Expansion'

  ➀ EcoPro's founder, Lee Dong-chae, emphasizes expanding cathode material portfolios (high-nickel, mid-nickel, LMR) to overcome operational losses amid slowing EV demand;

  ➁ Strategic priorities include enhancing cost and technological competitiveness, process innovation, and diversifying customer bases to stabilize profitability;

  ➂ The company hosted an innovation contest to boost productivity, awarding top ideas for production and process efficiency improvements.

• SEMI Publishes Korean Translation of Semiconductor Safety Standard 'SEMI S2'

  ➀ SEMI released the Korean version of its core safety standard 'SEMI S2', which governs semiconductor equipment design and safety evaluation globally but had previously been available only in English;

  ➁ The translation involved collaboration among 26 experts, including EHS specialists from Samsung and SK Hynix, to ensure accuracy, particularly for updates like high-pressure systems and fire prevention measures;

  ➂ SEMI has established 30 safety standards over 50 years, with S2 being the most critical document influencing semiconductor manufacturing practices.

• BASF Relocates Electronic Materials Headquarters to Taiwan

  ➀ BASF announced the relocation of its Electronic Materials division headquarters from Germany to Taipei, Taiwan, to accelerate innovation in semiconductor and electronic materials and leverage Taiwan's strategic position as a semiconductor hub;

  ➁ The move aims to enhance collaboration with key customers in East Asia and the U.S., while improving services for display and metal system industries;

  ➂ Leadership changes include Jens Liebermann as Senior Vice President overseeing global electronic materials, with Moritz Ehrenstein succeeding him as VP of semiconductor materials, both leveraging their experience to strengthen customer partnerships.

July 2

• LG Electronics Launches Smart Logistics Initiative with Lighthouse Factory Expertise

  ➀ LG Electronics partners with Logis Valley to apply smart factory solutions, including autonomous robots and digital twins, to the logistics sector;

  ➁ The collaboration aims to offer customized smart logistics solutions, leveraging AI and big data for enhanced efficiency and safety;

  ➂ The global smart logistics market is projected to grow from $88.1 billion in 2025 to $212.8 billion by 2032, indicating significant expansion.

• LG Electronics and Logistics Valley Sign MOU for Smart Logistics Center Business Cooperation

  ➀ LG Electronics partnered with Logistics Valley through an MOU to expand its smart factory solutions into the logistics sector;

  ➁ The collaboration focuses on developing smart logistics centers, combining LG's technological expertise with Logistics Valley's logistics network;

  ➂ This initiative aligns with LG's strategy to strengthen its smart factory business as a new growth driver.

• Samsung Electronics Transfers D1c to Mass Production... Speeding Up HBM4 Commercialization

  ➀ Samsung completed Production Readiness Approval (PRA) for D1c DRAM, a foundational product for 6th-gen HBM4, targeting mass production in H2 2025;

  ➁ D1c DRAM adopts dry photoresist technology to improve yield and performance, with plans to gradually expand production capacity;

  ➂ Samsung aims to use D1c for HBM4 development, differentiating from SK Hynix's D1b, and is already supplying HBM3E to AMD while negotiating with NVIDIA.

• Expansion of Autonomous Bus Routes in Chungnam Naepo New City... Free Service at 18 Stops

  ➀ Chungnam Province expands the autonomous bus demonstration routes in Naepo New City to a total of 21.6km, introducing a public circular bus system for the first time;

  ➁ The free pilot service will operate at 18 stops from October to December 2025, using Level 3 autonomous electric vehicles with onboard safety personnel;

  ➂ Planned to transition to a paid service after stabilization, aligning with ongoing efforts to validate autonomous driving technology and improve public transport accessibility.

• SK Innovation Unveils New Print Ads Embodying 'Team Spirit and Competitiveness'

  ➀ SK Innovation released two new print ads under the slogan 'When the world asks for energy, we answer with innovation,' emphasizing its role in leading future energy solutions through collaboration;

  ➁ The first ad uses a sports-themed visual to symboliz’s subsidiaries uniting as 'one team' to tackle energy challenges, while the second highlights maritime imagery to convey resilience and core competencies in energy, innovation, and global networks;

  ➂ The campaign underscores SK Innovation’s commitment to leveraging synergies across its portfolio and providing tailored energy solutions for evolving demands, including the AI era.

• China's Reckless Battery Offensive Shakes South Korea's Home Turf

  ➀ Chinese battery companies are aggressively expanding into global markets, including South Korea, amid slowing EV demand that has hit their domestic industry;

  ➁ The intensified overseas push aims to counter declining growth and secure new revenue streams, escalating competition in South Korea's battery market;

  ➂ The Korean industry faces mounting pressure as its domestic market becomes a battleground for Chinese firms seeking global dominance.

• Schneider Electric Accelerates Development and Construction of Large-Scale AI Factories through Collaboration with NVIDIA

  ➀ Schneider Electric and NVIDIA announced a strategic partnership to accelerate AI factory infrastructure development, focusing on power, cooling, control systems, and high-density rack infrastructure.

  ➁ The collaboration supports the EU's 'AI Continental Action Plan,' aiming to establish at least 13 AI factories and up to 5 AI gigafactories across Europe, emphasizing sustainable infrastructure.

  ➂ Schneider Electric unveiled new solutions, including EcoStruxure™ Pod and rack infrastructure, optimized for AI workloads to set new standards in sustainable data center design.

• Personnel Changes at the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI)

  ➀ The Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI) announced personnel appointments, including Lee Young-han as the director of the Intelligent Image Processing Research Center;

  ➁ KETI specializes in electronics R&D, focusing on key areas such as semiconductors and intelligent systems;

  ➂ The news was published in the July 2, 2025, issue (page 23) of a Korean media outlet.

• OCI Holdings Acquires Highest 'AA' Rating in Sustainvest ESG Evaluation

  ➀ OCI Holdings achieved the highest 'AA' grade in Sustainvest's 2025 ESG evaluation, ranking among the top 7.3% (90 companies) of 1,295 assessed firms, marking three consecutive rating upgrades from B (2024 H1) to AA (2025 H1);

  ➁ The company scored 91.75 points across environment, social, and governance (ESG) metrics, particularly excelling in governance areas like shareholder rights and board transparency, securing 4th place in the general holding sector, and 10th in the 'ESG 100 Excellence' list for groups with assets over 2 trillion KRW (~1.44 billion USD);

  ➂ Subsidiary OCI Corporation also earned an 'A' rating, reflecting the group's comprehensive ESG commitment.

• Kolon Industries Publishes '2024 Sustainability Management Report'

  ① Kolon Industries released its 2024 Sustainability Report, detailing ESG achievements and climate-related financial disclosures aligned with TCFD recommendations;

  ② The report incorporated EU ESRS guidelines, identifying four key sustainability focus areas and presenting a carbon neutrality roadmap with SBTi-approved greenhouse gas reduction targets targeting 2050;

  ③ CEO Ho Sung emphasized enhancing sustainable competitiveness through operational efficiency and circular economy initiatives, including recycled materials development and renewable energy expansion.

July 1

• DreamTec Publishes Its First Sustainability Management Report

  ➀ DreamTec released its first sustainability report, detailing ESG initiatives across five key areas: climate change/energy, waste management, human rights, industrial safety, and corporate governance;

  ➁ The company's ESG strategy emphasizes expanding environmental and social responsibility through board-led management practices;

  ➂ Environmental efforts include improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, and engaging in activities like reforestation and environmental cleanups domestically and internationally.

• Cheonan City Expands into Latin America Including Panama... Companies Like Lab to Bottle Secure $240,000 Export Contracts

  ➀ Cheonan City organized export consultations in Panama and Guatemala, achieving $670,000 in trade discussions and $240,000 in finalized contracts;

  ➁ Four consumer goods companies, including Lab to Bottle and Sensation Beauty Corporation, participated in the trade mission supported by KOTRA;

  ➂ The Guatemala event linked with a major import trade fair, featuring the attendance of Vice President Karin Herrera and over 100 Central American buyers.

• Kyungdong Navien Partners with British Gas in the UK

  ➀ Kyungdong Navien formed a strategic partnership with British Gas, the UK's largest energy supplier, at the Installer Show 2025 in Birmingham;

  ➁ The partnership aims to establish a comprehensive service system for Navien's boilers and heat pumps across the UK, leveraging British Gas's network of 6,500 engineers;

  ➂ Navien showcased eco-friendly heat pumps with inverter technology at the event, attracting significant interest from local buyers.

• POSCO Holdings to Launch Demonstration of Direct Lithium Extraction Technology in North America

  ➀ POSCO Holdings signed an MOU with Australian resource developer Anson Resources to construct and operate a DLE (Direct Lithium Extraction) demonstration plant in Utah, aiming to verify commercialization feasibility;

  ➁ The DLE technology enables economical lithium extraction from low-concentration brine without large evaporation ponds, which is critical for developing lithium supplies in North America;

  ➂ Successful implementation of this project will expand POSCO's lithium resource supply chain and strengthen its competitiveness in the battery materials sector, with plans to apply the technology across North American lithium investments.

• Hanmi Semiconductor to Release Fluxless Bonder in 2028 and Hybrid Bonder in 2029

  ➀ Hanmi Semiconductor announced plans to release Fluxless TC Bonder for HBM6 in 2028 and Hybrid Bonder for HBM7 in 2029, following the launch of TC Bonder5 for HBM5 in 2027.

  ➁ The new Fluxless bonding eliminates flux to reduce HBM thickness, while Hybrid bonding uses direct copper connections, addressing advanced HBM requirements for minimized stacking gaps in high-layer-count memory.

  ➂ The company aims to expand TC Bonder production capacity to 2 trillion KRW (approximately $1.54 billion) by 2026 through Incheon Plant 7 and plans to produce 20+ layer premium HBMs and ASICs, strengthening its global TC Bonder leadership.

• Chungnam Creative Economy Innovation Center Collaborates with Large/Mid-sized Companies and Startups for '2025 Nexus Connect Open Innovation'

  ❶ Chungnam Creative Economy Innovation Center (CEIC) announced the '2025 Nexus Connect Open Innovation Meetup Day,' fostering collaboration between large/mid-sized companies and startups to build an open innovation ecosystem.

  ❷ Participating entities include Tokyo Electron Korea, SEMES (a Samsung affiliate), Continental Automotive Electronics, Hyundai Construction, and public institutions, focusing on semiconductor and next-gen display technology partnerships.

  ❸ The program will host monthly meetings starting July 2025, with Tokyo Electron Korea exploring strategic investments in startups, following the success of the 2024 SEMICON Synergy Summit, which facilitated PoC-based collaborations.

• LG Electronics on Track to Achieve 2030 ESG Goals… Releases Sustainability Report

  ➀ LG Electronics reduced greenhouse gas emissions to 910,000 tCO2eq in 2023, nearing its 2030 target (878,000 tCO2eq) and cutting over 50% compared to 2017 (1.933 million tCO2eq);

  ➁ Achieved 97.4% waste recycling rate across global operations (exceeding 2030 goal of 95%) and collected 532,630 tons of e-waste in 2023, with cumulative recycling surpassing 5 million tons since 2006;

  ➂ Increased recycled plastic usage by 36% to 74,079 tons and expanded accessibility initiatives like the ‘LG Comfort Kit’, while maintaining top ESG ratings from S&P Global (Top 1%) and MSCI (Grade A).

• SemiSolution Launches Full-Scale ASIC Services Based on Intel Foundry Process in Collaboration with Taiwan's Faraday Technology

  ➀ SemiSolution partners with Taiwan's Faraday Technology to launch ASIC services using Intel Foundry's advanced processes, targeting applications like AI, HPC, automotive, and IoT;

  ➁ The collaboration builds on past successes with UMC's processes and expands to Intel's cutting-edge nodes, addressing gaps in Korea's high-end SoC development ecosystem;

  ➂ Plans include 2D/3D advanced packaging services, leveraging Faraday's IP portfolio to enhance competitiveness in the custom semiconductor market.

• LS Marine Solutions Partners with Turkish Shipyard to Build HVDC Cable-Laying Vessel

  ➀ LS Marine Solutions signed a contract with Turkey's Tersan Shipyard to jointly build a 18,800-ton ultra-large HVDC cable-laying vessel capable of carrying 13,000 tons of cables and deploying both HVDC submarine cables and optical fibers;

  ➁ The vessel, to be completed after two years of construction, will enter service in the first half of 2028 for global turnkey projects alongside LS GreenLink's U.S. submarine cable factory;

  ➂ This marks Korea's first and one of only three vessels globally with such advanced specifications, positioning LS as a leader in rapidly growing submarine infrastructure markets like offshore wind and digital submarine networks.

• SK Sugar Gliders Hold Fan Meeting to Celebrate Combined Championship Victory

  ➀ SK Sugar Gliders celebrated their victory in the 2024-2025 H-League women's division with a fan meeting in Gwangmyeong City, attended by players and fans;

  ➁ The team engaged in community activities, including donating part of their prize money to local organizations and hosting charity events like baking cookies for children;

  ➂ The team's manager emphasized ongoing commitment to fan engagement and social responsibility through local contributions.

June 30

• [Photo] Increase in Dehumidifier Sales Due to Hot and Humid Weather

  ➀ Hot and humid weather during the rainy season has led to a surge in dehumidifier sales;

  ➁ Customers are exploring advanced models with smart inverter and dehumidification features at Seoul’s Yongsan Electronics Market;

  ➂ The sales trend highlights seasonal demand for humidity-control appliances amid extreme weather conditions.

• LG Display to Invest KRW 1.3 Trillion in UDC and COE Technologies

  ➀ LG Display plans to invest KRW 1.26 trillion (approx. $970 million) in OLED innovations, focusing on under-display camera (UDC) and color filter-on-encapsulation (COE) technologies for smartphone applications;

  ➁ UDC aims to hide cameras/sensors under screens with 3x performance improvements in transmittance and resolution, while COE replaces polarizers to reduce panel thickness and power consumption;

  ➂ Additional investments in Vietnam target 4-side bending displays for bezel-free smartphones, aligning with global client roadmaps for 2027 implementation.

• ET Talk: Ripple Effects from Kum Yang's Battery Material/Parts/Equipment Crisis

  ➀ Kum Yang's financial crisis triggered a chain reaction in South Korea's battery supply chain, with equipment supplier Gabjin filing for court receivership due to unpaid receivables of 57.6 billion KRW (≈$44.3 million);

  ➁ Gabjin set aside 34.6 billion KRW (≈$26.6 million) in bad debt provisions, representing 30% of its 2024 revenue, leading to severe capital erosion;

  ➂ Multiple SMEs across the material-equipment ecosystem face生存threats, prompting major battery makers to reevaluate supply chains, while Kum Yang's 405 billion KRW (≈$311 million) capital increase plan becomes critical for industry stabilization.