The government decided to provide about 120 billion won in investment support grants to 21 small and midsize corporations in materials, parts and equipment (small-but-strong), including Soulbrain.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on the 18th that it held the technology subcommittee of the National Advanced Strategic Industries Committee and finalized the selection of 21 recipients for the National Advanced Strategic Industries materials, parts and equipment small and midsize corporations investment support grant. Representative selections include Soulbrain (semiconductor materials corporation), Jusung Engineering (semiconductor equipment corporation), Dongwha Electrolyte (secondary battery electrolyte corporation) and Amicogen (bio culture media corporation).
The investment support grant program was introduced for the first time this year. It supports 30% to 50% of new investments by small and midsize corporations that produce supply chain stabilization items or strategic materials in national advanced strategic industries such as semiconductors, secondary batteries, bio and displays. This round of support totals 70 billion won in central government funds (121.1 billion won including local funds).
The government expects the support to spur a total of 550 billion won in domestic investment. The selected corporations can receive project funds as soon as they complete administrative procedures, such as the project implementation agreement, through guidance from the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), the program's dedicated implementing agency.
Park Dong-il, director general for industrial policy, said, "As global supply chain competition intensifies, this support will serve as priming water for expanding domestic production and research facilities," and added, "We will actively expand investment in the materials, parts and equipment sector, the core foundation of industrial competitiveness, so that the advanced industry ecosystem can grow stably."
The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) plans to expand the support program starting next year to corporations in a total of six sectors by adding two sectors, robotics and defense. To that end, the government is working to allocate 100 billion won in central government funds for investment support grants in the 2026 budget bill.