The Semiconductor Industry and High-Quality Economic Development: An International Perspective

남은영,Xiao-Long Wang 한국무역학회 2022 Journal of Korea trade Vol.26 No.7

Purpose – This paper is an empirical investigation of the mediation effect of innovation activity in industry transformation considering the relationship between the semiconductor industry and highquality economic development. The research questions are whether the semiconductor industry drives high-quality economic development and if so, what is the semiconductor industry’s role in high-quality development? We found that the semiconductor industry has clearly improved the quality of economic development, and its comparative advantage has significantly increased per capita national incomes. Furthermore, innovation activity proved to be an intermediary factor for the semiconductor industry to promote high-quality economic development. The world economy should aim to reasonably develop the international semiconductor industry and cultivate innovation markets. Design/methodology – Our empirical model considers the relationship between the semiconductor industry, innovation activity, and high-quality economic development. We constructed an analysis framework based on data from 199 World Bank economies between 1995 and 2019, and we used a mediation effect method to calculate the total effect of the semiconductor industry on promoting highquality economic development, the indirect effect of the semiconductor industry on promoting innovation activity, and the mediation effect of these innovation activities on the promotion of highquality economic development. Findings – The results show that the semiconductor industry has significantly promoted high-quality economic development. This is true even after the robustness test of grouping and alternative variables was applied. An analysis of the mechanism shows that promoting patents, scientific research, efficient government, and urban management innovation are important mechanisms for the semiconductor industry to release high-quality development dividends. Originality/value – Although it has been shown that specific industries like semiconductors can affect high-quality economic development through industrial upgrading, few researchers have attempted to empirically test the impact of the semiconductor industry on high-quality economic development. In this paper, we use a mediation effect model, alternative variables and a grouping test to find the internal mechanisms of the comparative advantage of the semiconductor industry in high-quality economic development from the perspective of innovation activity.

한 중 반도체 산업 협력 방안에 관한 연구

유관령,이태희 한국경영컨설팅학회 2023 경영컨설팅연구 Vol.23 No.6

The semiconductor industry is often referred to as the "brain of manufacturing," making it a critical industry for a country. As an important weapon of national competitiveness, the semiconductor industry has a significant impact on a country's position in global economic integration and digital competition. The semiconductor industry is a strategic, basic and leading industry that supports the development of modern economic society, and is a key driver of new technological revolutions and industrial transformation. Unlike other industries, the semiconductor industry has a very high technical barrier, and with the development of digital technology and the increasing share of the digital economy in the national economy, the application range of semiconductor products will become wider and wider. South Korea focuses on memory semiconductor technology. Japan has an advantage in semiconductor sub-sectors (materials, components, equipment). Europe is strong in power semiconductors and microcontrollers, while mainland China and Taiwan are leading in packaging testing and wafer fabrication. As a huge consumer of semiconductors, China is the world's largest consumer market for semiconductor products and an important support for the development of the global semiconductor industry. Therefore, the question of how Korea and China should respond to the competition in semiconductor technology against the backdrop of several factors such as the US-China conflict and the Russian-Ukrainian war is very important. The main purpose of this research is to analyze the competitiveness of the semiconductor industries of Korea and China in the rapidly changing global market and to discuss ways of mutual cooperation. The semiconductor industries of Korea and China were analyzed using PEST analysis and SWOT analysis. The results showed that Korea's core technology for memory semiconductors is ahead of other countries, but system semiconductors are still lacking. In addition, Korea is dependent on the United States for technology and Japan for equipment and raw materials. China, on the other hand, has advantages in domestic markets, policies, and capital. However, there is still a relative gap in science and technology, especially in the semiconductor industry. Therefore, South Korea needs China's market and China needs South Korea's semiconductor technology. The semiconductor supply chains of Korea and China are indivisible, and in the complex international situation, the semiconductor industries of Korea and China must cooperate and win-win to reduce the risks of industrial development. Korea-China cooperation is conducive to realizing the potential of the semiconductor industry in both countries, jointly building a semiconductor industry chain, and realizing a win-win situation.

Analysis of the characteristics of China's current semiconductor industry - Focusing on the industrial environment and the industrial chain

왕효등,박명섭 한국무역경영학회 2022 한국무역경영연구 Vol.- No.28

Since 2021, the global semiconductor market is expected to continue to grow with the development of new technologies such as the fourth industrial revolution, artificial intelligence, big data, self-driving cars, digital currency, and blockchain. However, the global semiconductor chain has been tested by the sanctions imposed by the United States on China's semiconductor industry. At the same time, the Chinese government has accelerated the progress of its own R&D in the country's semiconductor industry chain. As a major semiconductor exporter in the world, Korea needs to pay attention to the changes in the global semiconductor industry chain, including China and the US. This paper analyzes the current situation of the upstream and midstream of China's semiconductor industry chain based on the characteristics of China's semiconductor industry development, semiconductor industry chain stratification, and China's domestic semiconductor market data in 2021. This will help Korean companies (such as Samsung and Sk Hynix) better understand the development of China's semiconductor industry and, thus, better formulate their business strategies.

Research on the Development Strategy of China’s Semiconductor Industry under Sino-US Science and Technology Relations

Li Yuying,Sun Liping 한중경제문화학회 2023 한중경제문화연구 Vol.24 No.-

Purpose - In 2022, the United States introduced Creative Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act, which strengthened the export control on China’s chips, semiconductors, and other products. The scientific and technological relation between China and the United States is in a tense state, which has a negative impact on the complementary development of technology between China and the United States, as well as the development of China’s semiconductor industry. In the current situation of the scientific and technological relation between China and the United States, this paper hopes to play a certain reference role in the faster and better development of China’s semiconductor industry. Design/Methodology/Approach - This paper uses literature analysis, qualitative analysis and case analysis to elaborate on the general situation of the semiconductor industry and the development process of China’s semiconductor industry under the global semiconductor industry, and analyzes the development, present situation and future of Sino-us scientific and technological relations. Findings - This paper discusses the development problems and opportunities of China’s semiconductor industry under the Sino-US science and technology relations, and puts forward the development strategy of China’s semiconductor industry under the Sino-US science and technology relations. This paper can bring enlightenment to the development of China’s semiconductor industry under the Sino-US science and technology relations. Research Implications - Through the study of the development opportunities and strategies of China’s semiconductor industry under the Sino-US scientific and technological relation, Chinese semiconductor enterprises can better cope with the impact of the United States on the development of China’s semiconductor industry, grasp the development opportunities of the semiconductor industry, and achieve the development goals of the semiconductor industry in the difficult situation.

한국과 주요국 간의 반도체산업 수출경쟁력 및 수출경합도 비교 분석

김은영(Kim, Eun Young),서창배(Seo, Chang Bae) 한국아시아학회 2021 아시아연구 Vol.24 No.4

전 세계적으로 반도체산업의 주도권을 확보하기 위한 기술패권경쟁이 심화하며 반도체 공급망 재편과 관련한 다양한 움직임이 최근 급증하고 있다. 반도체는 4차 산업혁명 시대의 필수산업이기 때문에 관련 주요국들을 중심으로 글로벌 공급망 확보와 기술자립도 강화를 추진 중인 것이다. 한국을 소위 반도체 강국이라고 하나, 시스템반도체 분야를 비롯한 관련 소재산업 부문의 경쟁력은 상대적으로 취약한 상태이고, 메모리반도체 분야는 경쟁국들과의 기술 격차 감소로 인해 위협받고 있다. 이에 본고는 시장점유율(MS), 무역특화지수(TSI), 현시비교우위(RCA), 수출경합도지수(ESI) 모형을 활용하여 한국과 주요국 간의 반도체산업 수출경쟁력 및 수출경합도를 비교 분석하였다. 그에 따른 연구결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 반도체 수출점유율이 높은 순서는 중국 > 대만 > 싱가포르 > 한국 > 미국 순으로 나타났으며 그 중, 중국과 대만의 시장점유율이 매년 증가하는 추세이다. 둘째, 한국·대만·일본·말레이시아·싱가포르는 수출 측면에서 특화된 반면, 중국·미국·독일은 수입 측면에서 특화된 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 한국·중국·대만·싱가포르·말레이시아·일본의 반도체산업은 각각 자국 내 여타 산업보다 비교우위인 상태이나, 미국과 독일은 비교열위 상태이다. 넷째, 전반적인 반도체 시장에서 한국과 경합도가 높은 국가는 중국 > 대만 > 싱가포르 순으로 나타났는데, 그 중 메모리반도체 분야는 중국과, 시스템반도체 분야는 대만과 가장 치열한 경쟁 구도를 보이고 있다. 이에 따라, 현재 관련 주요국들을 중심으로 반도체산업 육성을 위한 집중적인 경쟁이 더욱 심화되고 있다. 따라서 한국이 종합적인 반도체 강국으로 거듭나기 위해서는 R&D 지원 강화, 인재양성, 기술 역량 제고, 팹리스기업(Fabless Manufacturing) 장려 등이 절실한 상태이다. Semiconductor supply chains are promoting reorganized as technical hegemony competition to secure the initiative in the semiconductor industry intensifies globally. Because semiconductors are an essential industry in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, related-significant countries emphasize securing global supply chains and technical independence. Although Korea is called a semiconductor powerhouse, Korea has been vulnerable to competitiveness in related materials, including system semiconductors, and competitors have threatened it with the technology gap decrease in memory semiconductors. Therefore, this article compared and analyzed the export competitiveness of the semiconductor industry between Korea and significant countries using Market Share (MS), Trade Specialization Index (TSI), Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), and Export Similarity Index (ESI) models. The results are as follows; First, the order of high semiconductor export share is China > Taiwan > Singapore > Korea > the US, of which China and Taiwan"s market share tend to increase every year. Second, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore specialized in exports, while China, the US, and Germany specialized in imports. Third, the semiconductor industry in Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan has a comparative advantage over other sectors within their country. In contrast, the US and Germany have a comparative disadvantage. Fourth, countries of high competition with Korea in the global semiconductor market are China > Taiwan > Singapore, especially Memory semiconductors are highly competitive with China and system semiconductors with Taiwan. Currently, competition among world powerhouses to foster the semiconductor industry is intensifying. Therefore, if Korea wants to make a comprehensive semiconductor powerhouse, Korea has to support R&D, cultivate people of talent, enhance technology capabilities, and encourage Fabless Manufacturing.

한국 반도체 산업의 교역패턴에 관한 연구

김승록(Seung Rok Kim),김학민(Hag Min Kim),정헌주(Hun Ju Jung) 한국무역연구원 2014 무역연구 Vol.10 No.6

Semiconductor industry has played an important role in the Korean economy since the 1990 s spurt of rapid economic growth. Geographical distance between trading countries is one of the most important factors influencing on the semiconductor industry. Gravity model explains trade flow between two trading countries using this factor of geographical distance and their economic scale. Korea would be a favorable place for trading of both intermediate and full semiconductor products considering the proximity of its geographical location to countries such as China which is called the world s production plant, Japan which boasts of its high-technology former processes, and Taiwan which holds a dominant position on latter semiconductor processes through enormous investment on facilities. This study aimed to examine comparative advantage on exports of the nation s semiconductor trading partners by using the TSI(Trade Specification Index) and to estimate international trade volume in the semiconductor industry by analyzing trade patterns using the gravity model. Results confirmed the hypothesis which stated that semiconductor products involving intermediate manufacturing processes have a valid influence on the whole export volume. Therefore, if there would be political reconsideration of semiconductor products, trade facilities which enable manufacturing and re-exportation of semiconductor products, trade volume within this region will increase hand in hand with labor productivity growth.

기술경쟁시대의 반도체산업과 GVC에 관한 연구

김일태,박석강 한국지역경제학회 2024 韓國地域經濟硏究 Vol.22 No.1

디지털 전환시대에 있어 반도체 산업의 핵심기술을 둘러싸고 중국의 불공정 관행을 포함한 전방위적인 추격이 거세지면서 미국의 대 중국 기술통제가 강화되었고 첨단기술 분야의 기술 생태계에 있어 미·중 간의 분절(decoupling)이 가시화되고, 미국이 동맹국들에게도 대중 기술 통제를 압박하면서 GVC (Global Value Chain)에 영향을 미치는 기술 갈등 국면이 전개되고 있다. 더불어 미국은 중국의 자국 산업육성 정책에 대응하여 핵심 부품 및 자원의 공급망을 확보하기 위하여 반도체 산업 등에 대한 대규모 정부 지원이 포함된 산업정책을 추진하고, EU도 이에 가세하고 있다. 본고는 이들 주요 산업국들 간에 기술을 둘러싼 경쟁 관계라는 측면에서 첨단기술을 둘러싼 미·중 간의 갈등현상과 반도체 산업의 정책 현황 및 조사 분석을 통해 향후 우리나라의 산업정책의 방향 모색을 위한 정책적 시사점을 제시하였다. 또한 국내 반도체 산업은 메모리 분야에서 최고 경쟁우위를 보인 반면에 시스템 반도체 분야에서는 상대적으로 매우 취약한 구조를 나타내고 있다. 최근의 제4차 산업혁명의 핵심 가치로 인공지능의 필요성이 대두되면서 AI 기반의 반도체 기술의 중요성이 대두되면서 국내 반도체 산업구조를 탈피하기 위해서는 시스템 반도체 경쟁력을 강화하고 육성방안을 제시하고자 한다. In the era of digital transformation, the U.S. strengthened its technological control over China as China is intensifying its all-round pursuit of key technologies including unfair practices. Concerning the technological ecosystem in the high-tech sector, the segmentation between the U.S. and China is visible, and the U.S. presses its allies to impose technological control over China. As a result, the aspects of technological conflict that affect the Global Value Chain (GVC) are developing. Also, in response to China’s industrial promotion policy, the U.S. is pursuing industrial policy including large-scale governmental support for semiconductor industry to secure a supply chain for key components and resources, and the EU is also joining in. In terms of the competitive relationship over technologies among these major industrial countries, this study presents political implications for finding the future direction of Korea’s industrial policy by investigating and analyzing the conflict between the U.S. and China over high-tech and the political status of semiconductor industry. Moreover, domestic semiconductor industry has the highest competitive advantage in the memory sector while the system semiconductor sector has a relatively far weaker structure. Recently, the need for artificial intelligence has emerged as the core value of the 4th industrial revolution, and the importance of AI-based semiconductor technology has emerged as well. In order to break away from the domestic structure of semiconductor industry, the competitiveness of system semiconductors must be heightened, and this study is aimed to suggest the plans for that.

경기남부지역의 산업클러스터 구축에 관한 연구

김현지(Kim Hyun-Jee) 한국문화산업학회 2005 문화산업연구 Vol.5 No.2

In the new international economic environment with the rapidly change of the globalization and the information technology revolution a government might adapt itself to international competitiveness through cluster. This paper aims to suggest by examining regional Industrial cluster formation and the promotion strategy of the network with a viewpoint of the regional Industrial cluster policy in the semiconductor industry of South Kyeonggi Area. The characteristics of regional Industrial cluster formation in South Kyeonggi are as follows. First, the semiconductor insustry of the begginning South Kyeonggi Area has strong character of the branch factory by a large company as if sumsung in the production system. Second, the networking support of public sector promotes the strategy of regional Industrial cluster based on the kyeonggi Digital Cluster Plan and South Kyeonggi's industrial was strengthened R&D function by Larger Cluster of High-tech semiconductor industry. Partnerships are involved in a wide range of industry, academia, government aim to revitalize industry of this region. In the new international economic environment with the rapidly change of the globalization and the information technology revolution a government might adapt itself to international competitiveness through cluster. This paper aims to suggest by examining regional Industrial cluster formation and the promotion strategy of the network with a viewpoint of the regional Industrial cluster policy in the semiconductor industry of South Kyeonggi Area. The characteristics of regional Industrial cluster formation in South Kyeonggi are as follows. First, the semiconductor insustry of the begginning South Kyeonggi Area has strong character of the branch factory by a large company as if sumsung in the production system. Second, the networking support of public sector promotes the strategy of regional Industrial cluster based on the kyeonggi Digital Cluster Plan and South Kyeonggi's industrial was strengthened R&D function by Larger Cluster of High-tech semiconductor industry. Partnerships are involved in a wide range of industry, academia, government aim to revitalize industry of this region.

A Study on Export Trade Efficiency and Potential of Korean Semiconductor Industry: Empirical Evidence from 72 Trade Export Countries

Xiao-Hui Li,이양기 한국무역연구원 2024 무역연구 Vol.20 No.2

Purpose – The semiconductor industry is an integral part of the Korean economy. Trade competition in semiconductors, the core component of the fourth industrial revolution, has become increasingly fierce. In this context, this study aims to empirically analyze the current situation, international competitiveness, and challenges faced by Korea’s semiconductor export trade from the perspective of trade efficiency by using Korea’s semiconductor export trade data. Design/Methodology/Approach – Using a stochastic frontier gravity model, this study analyzes the data of 72 countries and regions that have been the main targets of Korea’s semiconductor exports for the past 22 years using an empirical approach to investigate the main factors affecting Korea’s semiconductor export trade, trade efficiency, and trade potential. Findings – From the division of semiconductor export market type, there are 13 saturated countries, and the trade volume accounts for 77.86% of the total trade volume of Korea’s semiconductor exports. There were 31, 16, and 12 expansion, development, and iceberg-type countries, respectively. In addition, the regression results show that Korea’s population size and the R&D expenditures of the countries with which it trades have a significantly positive effect on semiconductor exports. Research Implications – To date, no more systematic empirical research literature on the efficiency of Korean semiconductor export trade has been found, and this study fills the gap in the literature in this area through an empirical analysis approach. This study aims to provide a reference value in Korea’s semiconductor export trade.

Analysis of Korean Import and Export in the Semiconductor Industry: A Global Supply Chain Perspective

Soo-Yong Shin,Sung-Ho Shin 한국무역학회 2021 Journal of Korea trade Vol.25 No.6

Purpose – Semiconductors are a significant export item for Korea that is expected to continue to contribute significantly to the Korean economy in the future. Thus, the semiconductor industry is a critical component in the 4th Industrial Revolution and is expected to continue growing as the non￾face-to-face economy expands as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, this paper aims to empirically investigate how semiconductors are imported and exported in Korea from a global supply chain perspective by analysing import and export data at the micro-level. Design/methodology – This study conducts a multifaceted analysis of the global supply chain for semi￾conductors and related equipment in Korea by examining semiconductor imports and exports by semiconductor type, year, target country, mode of transportation, airport/port, and domestic region, using import/export micro-data. The visualisation, flow analysis, and Bayesian Network methodologies were used to compensate for the limitations of each method. Findings – Korea is a major exporter of semiconductor memory and has the world’s highest competi￾tiveness but is relatively weak in the field of system semiconductors. The trade deficit in ‘semicon￾ductor equipment and parts’ is clearly growing. As a result, continued investment in ‘system semi￾conductors’ and ‘semiconductor equipment and parts’ technology development is necessary to boost exports and ensure a stable supply chain. Originality/value – Few papers on semiconductor trade in Korea have been published from the perspective of the global supply chain or value chain. This study contributes to the literature in this area by focusing on import and export data for the global supply chain of the Korean semiconductor industry using a variety of approaches. It is our hope that the insights gained from this study will aid in the advancement of SCM research.