[Edaily Reporter Kim Se-yeon] #SP Samhwa (formerly Samhwa Paint Industry) has made a strategic investment in a defense startup, marking its entry into the next-generation defense materials market. The company appears to be accelerating its efforts to secure new growth engines by expanding its business scope beyond its existing coatings business into the fields of stealth and electromagnetic shielding materials.

SP Samhwa announced on the 18th that it had completed a strategic equity investment (SI) in the defense startup “Flyer” last May. Flyer is a company that possesses core technologies for next-generation stealth and high-performance electromagnetic shielding materials. SP Samhwa plans to combine its own advanced fine chemicals expertise with Flyer’s core technologies to secure a key materials supply chain within the defense ecosystem.

Flyer has developed “Abroitex,” a fiber-based stealth material that overcomes the limitations of existing defense materials, and “TMS,” a carbon-nano-based transparent electromagnetic shielding film. SP Samhwa intends to strengthen its lineup of advanced specialty defense materials by integrating its existing coating technology with Flyer’s electromagnetic shielding capabilities. The company believes this will enable it to establish market competitiveness in the stealth and electromagnetic interference (EMI) materials sectors.

Furthermore, in the military drone market, achieving lightweight stealth capabilities is considered essential for extending operational range. SP Samhwa plans to develop materials by focusing on reducing drone weight and addressing durability issues. An SP Samhwa official stated, “This investment was made to fuse and advance our existing chemical material development technology with the innovative technologies of outstanding startups,” adding, “We plan to mobilize all our manufacturing capabilities, accumulated over decades, to secure a foothold in the defense market and solidify our position as a global integrated chemical company.”