The South Korean government has announced a new support project for AI semiconductor companies aimed at enhancing the overseas export of domestic AI semiconductors. This initiative comes at a time when FuriosaAI, a prominent player in the sector, is reportedly in acquisition talks with Meta, underscoring the strategic importance of international partnerships in the tech industry.
The Ministry of Science and ICT revealed that it will start accepting applications for the “2025 AI Semiconductor Overseas Demonstration Support Project” from Feb. 13 to March 20. This project is designed to assist domestic companies in securing export references by demonstrating their products overseas and verifying their performance and stability. A total of 5.4 billion won will be allocated to support four consortiums in the server-type and edge-type AI semiconductor fields over a period of up to two years.
The selected consortiums will have the opportunity to implement overseas demonstration environments that apply domestic AI semiconductors, develop locally customized AI models, and prove their performance, stability, and efficiency. For server-type semiconductors, domestic AI semiconductor servers will be integrated into local facilities and institutions to verify their performance. Meanwhile, for edge-type semiconductors, the focus will be on ensuring that domestic AI semiconductors and solutions can be stably implemented in local information and communication infrastructure on individual devices.
Jeon Young-soo, director of the Information and Communication Industry Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT, emphasized the significance of this initiative, stating, “This is the first government project to support AI semiconductor companies in securing overseas references.” He further added, “We plan to support the full-scale global expansion of domestic AI semiconductors and related services.”
The AI semiconductor industry is pivotal in the development of specialized chips that accelerate AI applications, crucial for processing large datasets and executing complex algorithms efficiently. The government’s push for domestic AI semiconductors is part of a broader strategy to enhance the country’s competitiveness and reduce reliance on foreign technology.
