EU Republic of Korea Digital Partnership Joint EU/Republic of Korea Chips Projects announced

The European Union and the Republic of Korea announce support for four jointly funded projects in semiconductors as a deliverable of the EU-Republic of Korea Digital Partnership.

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Today the European Commission on behalf of the European Union (EU) together with the Republic of Korea (ROK) are announcing the selection of four jointly supported projects in semiconductors. The total investment is around €12 million, of which half comes from the EU and the other half from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF).

The projects will advance heterogeneous integration technologies i.e. technologies combining multiple components onto one chip as well as neuromorphic computing technologies i.e. technologies imitating the functioning of the human brain.

These projects will bring together research and innovation partners from both the EU and the Republic of Korea. Their cooperation will involve setting up joint research teams, shared access to cutting-edge facilities and infrastructures, as well as frequent knowledge exchange through workshops, conferences, as well as through the EU-Korea-Semiconductor Researchers Forum - a forum to connect researchers from the EU and the Republic of Korea.

The selected joint EU-ROK projects are:

• ENERGIZE (developing brain-like circuits that use two-dimensional materials. This saves energy and the circuits can handle AI tasks effectively without needing centralised data centres);
• NEHIL(developing a laser-based radar system that integrates different technologies to efficiently measure distances with high precision);
• HAETAE (developing brain-like chips that use light in their circuitry to quickly and efficiently process AI tasks and adapt to new tasks);
• ViTFOX (upgrading AI that processes visual data by using special materials that help save power and improve performance- materials such as ferroelectric oxides).

These are 3-year projects co-funded by the Chips Joint Undertaking under Horizon Europe, and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF).

For the EU, partnering with South Korean institutes provides access to some of the world's most advanced semiconductor technologies and manufacturing capabilities, complementing Europe's strengths in research and innovation. Conversely, South Korean institutes will gain from the EU's leadership in research and innovation, including its emphasis on sustainable development.

Project Activities

The ENERGIZE project will create smart, energy-saving devices and circuits that are wafer-thin. These will be used for edge AI computing, which means they process data on the spot-like in your smartwatch, home security system, or a heart monitor-without needing a data centre. This can make devices smarter and more efficient, particularly for the Internet of Things (IoT), wearable technology, and healthcare devices.

The NEHIL project is focused on making a super-efficient type of LIDAR, which is like a laser-based radar, by using brain-like computing. They aim to cut power use in half for tasks like recognising objects, to make LIDAR work better in bad weather, and also make it more affordable.

Named after the mythical Korean creature that wards off fires, the HAETAE project will develop a platform that combines different materials to create lightning-fast, low-power AI circuits that work with light. These circuits will give a big performance boost to AI chips, making them more versatile for things like protecting computer systems from attacks, general AI tasks, and digital signal processing in optics.

The ViTFOX project will work on a Vision Transformer. This is a smart AI model that helps computers process visual information. The project will boost the energy efficiency of such AI models by using ferroelectric materials, which remember their electrical state without power. This could lead to better AI applications that work right at the edge-where data is gathered-while using very little energy. The project will design parts that work with memory while optimising them to run on low power.

EU and Republic of Korea cooperation

The EU and the Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations 60 years ago, and have a long-standing cooperation in the trade, research and digital spheres. The EU-ROK Digital Partnership was announced jointly by President von der Leyen and President Yoon on 28 November 2022. Later, on the occasion of the ROK-EU Summit of 22 May 2023, President of the European Council Charles Michel, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol, reaffirmed the importance of the EU-ROK relationship and called for expanding cooperation under the EU-ROK Digital Partnership.

On 26 June 2023 the European Union and the Republic of Korea held the first Digital Partnership council in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The council was co-chaired by Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, and by Korean Minister for Science and ICT, Mr Lee Jong-Ho. Both partners agreed to work on semiconductors, High Performance Computing (HPC) and Quantum technology, 5G and beyond, platform economy, artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.

On 26 March 2024, the EU and the Republic of Korea held the second Digital Partnership council in Brussels and decided to collaborate on research and innovation initiatives in the field of semiconductors.

The projects announced today build on this long tradition of collaboration, complementary interests and research expertise in semiconductors between the EU and the Republic of Korea. As part of efforts to strengthen ties, both parties convened to an inaugural EU-Korea-Semiconductor Researchers Forum in Brussels on March 25-26, 2024.

Next Steps

The joint EU/Republic of Korea semiconductor projects are planned to kick off by the end of the year. Together National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF)and the Chips Joint Undertaking will jointly monitor the progress of the projects. Republic of Korea and European Commission will look to identify additional opportunities for cooperation.

Quote Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton

Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market, stated:

"Today, together with the Republic of Korea, we jointly embark on four new projects that will shape the future of semiconductor technology. These initiatives, which synergise European and Korean expertise, exemplify our shared commitment to pioneering advancements in AI and semiconductors. This is an important deliverable of the EU-Republic of Korea Digital Partnership, following the second ministerial meeting we hosted in Brussels on 26 March 2024. This collaboration is a testament to our enduring partnership and mutual pursuit of excellence in cutting-edge research and innovation."

Quote Korean Minister for Science and ICT, Mr Lee Jong-Ho

Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and ICT, added:

"With this ROK-EU semiconductor joint research, we will establish a cooperative network with excellent semiconductor researchers from various EU countries to secure the super gap advantage in semiconductor technologies." And he explained, "We expect to secure cutting-edge heterogeneous integration and neuromorphic technologies necessary fornext-generation AI semiconductors and autonomous driving applications in the four ROK-EU consortium projects jointly selected this year."

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