[Edaily Reporter Shin Ha-yeon ] #PIE CO., LTD. is trading higher in early trading following news that it has been selected for the “K-HERO” project, a key government research and development (R&D) initiative.

According to MP Doctor on the 6th, as of 9:16 a.m., PIE CO., LTD. is trading at 3,200 won, up 3.23% from the previous trading day. During the session, the stock rose as high as 3,420 won, a 10.32% increase from the previous close.

PIE CO., LTD. announced today that it has passed the second evaluation of the “K-HERO (Korea-Highest Excellence R&D Organization) Fostering and Support Project,” organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Industrial Technology Promotion Association, and has been finally selected as a joint research institution.

The company plans to collaborate with the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) to develop “high-performance X-ray and CT-based full-inspection technology for large-area TGV glass substrates” by December 2028. The government is providing 1 billion won in R&D funding for this project.

Through this project, the company will develop mass-production-ready 100% inspection equipment capable of detecting major defects in glass substrates—such as TGV hole deformation, microcracks, voids in copper fill, and interlayer delamination—using non-contact, non-destructive methods.

Amid the growth of the semiconductor glass substrate market driven by the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors and high-performance computing (HPC), expectations for the development of inspection equipment applicable to mass production processes are believed to be reflected in the company’s stock price.