42Maru, a Korean artificial intelligence (AI) startup specializing in question-answering platform, announced on Jan. 7 that it has been selected for Industrial Bank of Korea’s acceleration program "IBK Changgong." The program provides customized assistance to startups for each stage of growth by act
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at minjae.lee@nhqv.com. -- Ed. Domestic construction projects are expected to increase in 2021 thanks to a rise in private residential orders. Meanwhile, sluggish construction starts in 2018 and 2019 are limiting the number of
Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong visited a semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek on Jan. 4. He emphasized the need to build a healthy semiconductor ecosystem in Korea during his visit. Industry watchers say that Lee stressed the importance of joining forces with small and medium-sized busi
SsangYong Motor, which has recently applied for a debt-workout after defaulting on loans from banks, will suspend the operations of its Pyeongtaek plant on Dec. 24 and 28 due to its partners’ refusal to supply parts.The company said on Dec. 23 that its production lines at the Pyeongtaek plant have b
Hanwha Q CELLS will partner with universities and small and medium-sized enterprises to develop tandem cells, a next-generation solar cell.The company announced on Dec. 15 that a consortium it formed with universities and partner companies was selected for a government-funded research and developmen
Analysts say that China and Japan will beef up cooperation in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels, keeping Korean OLED panel makers in check. While conducting large-scale joint R&D projects, Japanese companies have begun producing key materials in China.Japan's Idemitsu Kosan will produce
Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE), a shipbuilding arm of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, has won an order for two LPG carriers.KSOE announced on Nov. 25 that it has recently signed a contract worth about 116 billion won with a Singapore-based shipping company for two 40,000-cubic-mete
South Korean shipbuilders are expected to win an increasing number of contracts for LPG vessels with the number of ships older than 15 years on the increase.At present, the number of medium-sized LPG carriers that have been in operation for more than 15 years is 46. The number is estimated to rise t
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on Nov. 16 that Korea’s ICT exports in October are provisionally estimated at US$16.4 billion. ICT imports were tallied at US$10.22 billion, generating a trade surplus of US$6.18 billion.Exports increased 6.0 percent compared to the same month 2019. It
Patent applications for rollable displays are on a sharp rise.The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) announced on Nov. 16 that patent applications for rollable touch screens surged recently. The number of related patent applications increased to 55 in 2019 from three in 2012 and 15 in 2015.B
The Korean drone market has already been dominated by foreign drones. Drones made by DJI of China as toys and for leisure activities account for more than 60 percent of Korea's drone market. They also account for more than 70 percent of the industrial drone market in Korea. DJI, the world's
Samsung Display will send about 100 engineers to India via a chartered plane on Nov. 6 to accelerate the completion of an OLED module plant in India.The engineers, who include officials from partner companies, are sent to the company’s plant for medium-sized OLED panels that is being built in Noida,
Medium-sized shipbuilders under creditor-led restructuring processes are put up for sale. They include Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction, STX Offshore & Shipbuilding and Dae Sun Shipbuilding and Engineering. However, it remains to be seen whether these shipbuilders can be sold within the year i
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. She can be reached at jy.lee@nhqv.com. -- Ed. K-online market has been enjoying robust growthIn 1H20, Korea’s online retail penetration stood at 28%, showing the highest level along with China (28%), followed by the UK (26%) and US (16%). While
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. She can be reached at jy.lee@nhqv.com. -- Ed. There are many concerns in play over whether, once the Covid-19 crisis passes, there will be a rebound in offline retail activity or the online retail industry upturn will sustain. We believe that,
On Oct. 19, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced a tender for the second project of the newly launched “Rapid Acquisition Progarm.” The new acquisition program was launched this year to acquire competitive items based on new technologies swiftly.The most notable item among the ta
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at j.ko@nhqv.com. -- Ed. LGD’s 2H20 earnings are expected to evidence a rapid turnaround, helped by both effects from short-term LCD market improvement and earnings growth stemming from normalization at the firm’s large-sized
POSCO has decided to provide 200 patented technologies to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) free of charge as a measure to enhance their competitiveness and expand the base of the green and digital markets.Especially this year, POSCO expanded the scope of support to the group level, includin
When Japan announced its export curbs on Korean companies in 2019, it raised concern that six out of 10 small and medium-sized Korean semiconductor material and parts manufacturers would not be able to stay afloat for more than six months.But the concern did not become a reality. Korea’s material, p
Selling fresh produce from an island to the whole nationIn 1995, when then-33-year-old Kim Jeong-yeol started his fruit and vegetable farm on Korea’s Jeju Island, he had a lot to learn. Jeju was his home, so he knew his way around. But his parents had run a factory and he was completely new to farmi