[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park Chan-hyuk] Osan City held a meeting with officials from Applied Materials headquarters on the 18th, discussing the construction progress of the Applied Collaboration Center Korea to be built in the Gajang-dong area and future cooperation plans.
The meeting was attended by key officials including Osan Mayor Lee Gwon-jae, Satheesh Kuppurao, Executive Vice President of Applied Materials Semiconductor Operations, Park Gwang-seon, CEO of Applied Materials Korea, and Oh Heung-sik, Chairman of the Osan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CEO of LTQ Vacuum).
Mayor Lee Gwon-jae said in his opening remarks, "I sincerely welcome the establishment of Applied Collaboration Center, a world-class semiconductor and display equipment company, in the Gajang-dong area of Osan. We appreciate Applied Materials headquarters visiting Osan about a year after Osan City visited the Maydan Technology Center in the U.S. headquarters last year. Osan City is mobilizing all administrative resources to support the construction of Applied Collaboration Center Korea, and will continue to provide active support in the future."
In response, Executive Vice President Kuppurao said, "We thank you for providing various administrative support to ensure the successful establishment of the Applied Collaboration Center Korea project. We expect the Applied Collaboration Center to play a critical role in the domestic semiconductor industry, and we request continued interest and support from Gyeonggi Province and Osan City going forward."
Prior to the meeting, Osan City officials and Applied Materials' Executive Vice President Kuppurao and CEO Park Gwang-seon visited the site in Gajang-dong where the center is scheduled to be built, toured the area, and received a briefing on the construction schedule and implementation status.
Mayor Lee Gwon-jae stated, "On the 6th, we passed the final hurdle of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Central Urban Planning Committee review for the designation of Segyo 3 District, and the official announcement of the Segyo 3 District designation is expected by the end of the year. This district designation is an important opportunity for Osan City to evolve into a 'self-sufficient city linked to a semiconductor cluster,' and Applied Materials' role is very important in Osan City's leap as a semiconductor-specialized city," urging cooperation.
Applied Materials is a world-leading semiconductor and display equipment company headquartered in Silicon Valley, USA. According to the investment agreement signed in 2022 with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Gyeonggi Province, Applied Collaboration Center Korea will be developed as a research and development hub for customers and the industrial ecosystem.
Meanwhile, with the designation of Segyo 3 District imminent, Osan City is pushing to develop an advanced techno-valley spanning 300,000 pyeong. The city plans to establish an advanced industrial ecosystem centered on semiconductors by actively attracting advanced industry research facilities and semiconductor partner companies centered on Applied Collaboration Center Korea.