[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyun-ah ] SamsungElectronics(005930), SK hynix(000660), and JUSUNG ENGINEERING Co.,Ltd.(036930)are setting out to secure next-generation core semiconductor technologies that will overcome memory bottlenecks and power consumption limitations. They aim to implement “memory-centric computing,” which enhances data processing efficiency required for artificial intelligence (AI) computations, and explore development paths for technologies that enable more AI computations to be performed with less power.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 14th that it will launch the K-Moonshot Semiconductor Steering Committee and Technical Committee in Seoul, bringing together approximately 20 experts from industry, academia, and research institutes to discuss the semiconductor mission, technology roadmap, and future direction. The three companies will participate in the committees to discuss the industry’s technology needs and development directions.

The semiconductor industry has established itself as a core sector underpinning South Korea’s exports, alongside expanding investment in AI infrastructure. The share of semiconductors in total exports, which stood at 24.4% in 2025, has surged this year, reaching 49.9% in September. Monthly export value also hit a record high of $60.3 billion.

However, as AI computation volumes increase, data transfer between memory and processors creates a bottleneck, and power consumption also rises. As limitations emerge in improving performance through semiconductor miniaturization alone, technologies that efficiently connect memory and computational functions are becoming increasingly important.

The K-Moonshot Semiconductor Mission aims to secure next-generation core semiconductor technologies that will overcome these limitations. It is promoting “memory-centric computing,” which enhances memory performance to transform the architecture of computing systems, and is taking on the challenge of increasing Token/W—a metric representing AI throughput per unit of power consumption.

Technology development will encompass devices, processes, memory, packaging, and systems, including next-generation stacked semiconductors such as ultra-fine-scale semiconductors and high-bandwidth memory (HBM). The initiative will go beyond simply improving the performance of individual chips to conduct integrated demonstrations that implement and validate the technology at the system level.

Kim Ji-young, Semiconductor Program Director (PD), will serve as chair of the Steering Committee. Experts from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Research Foundation of Korea, and the industry—including SamsungElectronics, SK hynix, and JUSUNG ENGINEERING Co.,Ltd.—as well as academia and research institutions will participate to deliberate on and coordinate the establishment and revision of basic plans for related R&D projects and key implementation matters.

The Technology Committee will plan the technology roadmap and specific research projects, and monitor development progress and goals. It plans to strengthen coordination across the entire spectrum—from policy formulation to R&D and industrial applications—by reflecting technological changes and industry demands.

At today’s meeting, participants will discuss the priorities for core technologies, phased objectives, coordination with existing semiconductor R&D projects, and integrated demonstration plans that reflect industry needs.

Kim Seong-soo, Director General of the R&D Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, “In the AI era, national competitiveness will be determined not merely by improving the performance of individual semiconductors, but by the technological capability to organically integrate device, memory, and integration/packaging technologies to revolutionize the performance and power efficiency of the entire system,” he said. “We will pool the capabilities of industry, academia, and research institutes to proactively secure future core semiconductor technologies and advance the ‘K-Moonshot Semiconductor Mission’ to ensure that research outcomes translate into industrial competitiveness.”