The Ministry of Science and ICT has begun selecting the lead construction company to undertake the construction of the multipurpose synchrotron radiation facility.
The multipurpose synchrotron radiation facility project aims to establish a world-class advanced research infrastructure, a synchrotron radiation facility, in Ochang, Chungcheongbuk-do, by 2029 to support industrial technology development and leading basic and fundamental research.
The infrastructure project going to tender this time is worth 303.2 billion won and includes the construction of 13 buildings, including the accelerator building and research and experimental support facilities, on the construction site within the Ochang Technopolis industrial complex. The bidding will be held from Jan. 10 to Jan. 20 exclusively for construction companies that have applied for electronic qualification review on the Public Procurement Service's G2B portal.
The information session will be held on Feb. 4, and after receiving technical proposals from construction companies by mid-April, the lead contractor will be selected. Construction is expected to begin in the first half of next year.
For the accelerator device, announcements and orders have started since last month. Among the total budget of 522.7 billion won, devices worth 170 billion won are expected to be ordered by the first half of next year, with about 80% to be manufactured by domestic companies. The Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, a collaborative research institution, is designing the entire device with its own technology and is in the process of developing prototypes of vacuum devices, electromagnets, diagnostic devices, and high-frequency devices with domestic equipment manufacturers from the design stage.
Lee Chang-seon, director of public convergence research policy, said, "The multipurpose synchrotron radiation facility will play an important role in driving technological innovation in our country as an advanced research facility," and noted, "Amid high economic uncertainty domestically and abroad, we will not spare various support to ensure that large-scale infrastructure developments, such as synchrotron radiation facilities, can substantially contribute to regional economic revitalization through job creation and industrial connections."