Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held the inauguration ceremony for the Chemical Industry Innovation Alliance and unveiled the “K-Chemistry Next-Generation Technology Innovation Roadmap 2030” on Tuesday, December 23, at Lotte Hotel Seoul. The event was attended by approximately 150 representatives from local governments, industry, academia, and research institutions.

The launch of the Alliance and the announcement of the Roadmap underscore the urgent need to strengthen the chemical industry’s future competitiveness through both the rationalization of production facilities and a shift from commodity-based materials toward high value-added specialty products. Notably, the Roadmap adopts a one-team approach that moves away from fragmented, material-by-material R&D and instead supports the entire chemical industry value chain—from feedstocks and materials to applications and end-demand—by linking it with downstream demand industries such as semiconductors and future mobility. As stated at the petrochemical industry meeting held the previous day, the government will prioritize companies participating in business restructuring when providing R&D support.

The “K-Chemistry Next-Generation Technology Innovation Roadmap 2030” outlines implementation strategies to elevate Korea’s chemical industry from fifth place globally to fourth by 2030. The Roadmap seeks to advance R&D and infrastructure to secure core materials and process technologies through three pillars: high value-added transformation, eco-friendly transformation, and strengthened responses to global environmental regulations.

To promote the adoption of M.AX within the K-Chemistry industry, the government will support AI-driven technology development and foundational infrastructure across all stages of material design and manufacturing processes. The Roadmap includes plans to establish autonomous experimentation systems that integrate AI with automated equipment to shorten new material development timelines, as well as to implement intelligent process control systems that apply AI at every stage of production—from raw material input through polymerization, separation, post-processing, and fabrication—to optimize process conditions and minimize energy consumption in real time.

The Roadmap was developed over six months with the participation of more than 80 domestic experts in technology identification and capability assessment. Following reviews by R&D leaders from petrochemical companies, 217 viable component technologies were identified. These technologies will be classified into four categories based on market potential and technological maturity, with tailored support measures to follow. Based on the Roadmap, MOTIR will design projects through the Alliance and launch large-scale R&D programs in the first quarter of next year.

The newly established Chemical Industry Innovation Alliance will serve as both the command center and the engine for implementation, operating as a collaborative model that spans the entire value chain—from feedstocks and materials to applications and end-demand. The Alliance will also coordinate nine flagship projects across nine key sectors, including semiconductors and future mobility. Under this framework, demand-side anchor companies will specify performance requirements for key materials, while ecosystem participants—including SMEs at the feedstock, material, and application stages—will form consortia to develop technologies that meet those requirements and link them to commercialization.

Park Dong-il, Director General for Industrial Policy, noted that “petrochemical companies submitted their restructuring plans on December 19 and reaffirmed their commitment to full-scale implementation at a meeting chaired by the Minister yesterday.” He added, “The Roadmap marks a critical turning point for Korea’s chemical industry as it seeks to overcome current challenges and reposition itself as a high value-added, future-oriented sector.” He further emphasized that “MOTIR will continue to provide robust R&D and policy support to strengthen the competitiveness of the chemical industry as a whole.”