LG Innotek (CEO: Young ho, Hur) forge a partnership with KAIST (Chancellor: Seo Nam-pyo) to enhance its competitiveness in the LED area.

LG Innotek entered into an MOU on academic-industrial cooperation for the development of advanced technologies in the LED (Light Emitting Diode) field and the fostering of a custom-tailored workforce, on July 5th, at KAIST’s main building in Yuseonggu, Daejeon.

Both parties agreed to found an within the campus of KAIST under the agreement for the purpose of developing custom-tailored academic-industrial educational programs to be run from the end of July. They will also support scholarships for five years by selecting students with a good academic performance within the scope of this academic-industrial partnership.

In particular, they will select major projects to be led by the LEDR&DCenter so as to allow professors and students from KAIST, and researchers from LG Innotek, to participate in joint programs for developing core and source technologies.

LG Innotek is planning to secure core and source technical solutions as well as superior manpower through preemptive studies with KAIST on LEDs.

KAIST will be committed to contributing to the improvement of national competitiveness by rearing quality human resources tailored to the needs of enterprises active in future industries.

The LED industry is rapidly growing around BLUs (Back Light Unit) for LCD TV sets, and is expected to go enjoy faster growth if the solutions are expanded to the lighting market. However, the number of holders of master’s and Ph.D degrees in Korea in the relevant R&D areas is only about 50, so there is an urgent need to develop qualified human resources in the related fields.

“The company’s initiative in this academic-industrial cooperation will provide an opportunity for the company to continuously pertain higher technical competitiveness and superior manpower. This close ties with KAIST will give a spur to the company’s efforts to become a leading global LED player

LG Innotek completed its hierarchical systemization of the entire LED manufacturing processes – from LED fluorescent agents to Epi Wafer, chips, and packages – by the year 2006, and last July initiated the mass production of vertical-type LED chips, solely in Korea, based on the world’s best technical capacities in the field.

The company aims to become the leader of the LED industry by 2012, by beefing up further the foundation for LED business and preemptively responding to the LED BLU and illumination market.