POSCO agrees on joint graphene cluster development

The steelmaker POSCO will lead in the creation of a graphene industry cluster in the city of Pohang, about 300km southeast of Seoul, where the company’s head office is also located.

POSCO on Mar. 31 signed a five-party agreement with Pohang City Government, Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), and the country’s leading graphene startup Graphene Square, according to the company.

Graphene, often referred as a wonder material for its nano-structure, elasticity and strength, is used in multiple industries including the semiconductor, electronic display and solar cell sectors.

Under the agreement, POSCO and its four partners will set up a graphene ecosystem using corporate, government and academic resources.

The ecosystem will not only conduct primary research on the material but also develop products for commercialization and create new jobs in related industries.

Pohang City Government said graphene will become the city’s next material, after steel, which will drive the future economic growth of the region.

The local government will work on attracting graphene purchasing companies to Pohang and establishing institutions that provide international standard assessments on graphene. 

“POSCO will spare no expense in supporting Pohang to become the center of the graphene industry, by creating a cluster that involves the local government, top research institutes as well as industry players,” said a POSCO representative.  

Write to Man-Su Choe at bebop@hankyung.com
Daniel Cho edited this article.