Building on 40-year bridge to South Korea – will strengthen Swedish competitiveness

At the end of October 2024, a delegation from RISE travelled to Seoul to meet several research institutes and technology giants Samsung and Hyundai on their home turf. Back in 2023, RISE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with representatives of four South Korean research players and research funders. The aim? To strengthen cooperation between Sweden and South Korea in three areas: shipping, semiconductors and autonomous vehicles.

But the story doesn't start there - it goes back 40 years. Paul Halle Zahl Pedersen, Head of Safety and Transport at RISE and one of the nine delegates in South Korea, gives us the background:

"The Swedish shipbuilding industry both built and tested in Sweden until the 1980s, when production moved to China, South Korea and Asia in general. The new shipyards and shipbuilders in South Korea then started to buy testing services from the Swedish National Ship Testing Institute (SSPA), which is now part of RISE," says Paul Halle Zahl Pedersen:

"So there has been commercial activity between South Korea and maritime testing centres in Sweden for a very long time. Gradually, the cooperation has evolved from purely commercial to a solid research collaboration.

Focus on the greening of shipping

The green transition of shipping has become an increasingly important area of investigation in this research collaboration. Discussions in Seoul focused on wind propulsion, batteries and the combination of fossil-free fuels with different types of sails. As South Korea builds 15 per cent of the world's ships, this is a burning issue. Sweden and RISE, which has long been researching how the maritime industry can reduce its emissions, are keen to contribute to the development of energy-optimised ships and more sustainable fuels.

Paul Halle Zahl Pedersen emphasises that South Korean players are always looking for excellence - and in this case they have found it in Sweden. "South Korea has a high regard for Sweden's technology infrastructure, not only in the maritime sector, but also in the automotive industry.

"There is a lot of interest in AstaZero and SEEL, our unique test and demonstration centres for research and development in electromobility and autonomous vehicles. The fact that Sweden has a leading automotive industry with Volvo, Scania and others is also attractive," says Paul Halle Zahl Pedersen.

He continues:

"For Sweden and RISE, it is incredibly interesting to work with South Korea, which has large industrial locomotives such as Samsung and Hyundai. We can learn a lot from the way South Korea works through research cooperation.

Semiconductors for the future

Alongside shipping and autonomous vehicles, semiconductors are high on the agenda for cooperation with South Korea. Together with KTH Royal Institute of Technology, RISE has researched and developed a special type of semiconductor that can withstand higher temperatures and electrical voltages than conventional types. With a partner like South Korea, which is experienced in large-scale production, the automotive industry's demand for these energy-efficient semiconductors could be met.

"This type of partnership is crucial for Sweden to compete with China and the US in power semiconductor technology," says Paul Halle Zahl Pedersen.

Potential for expanded cooperation

During the visit, the delegation took the opportunity to lay the groundwork for expanded cooperation with South Korea. They talked about expertise in the bioeconomy and the new pilot plant in Örnsköldsvik, where biomass is used to produce everything from new foods to bioplastics. Interesting, the audience thought.

"We have had incredibly talented people working in South Korea for a long time, building relationships that are now opening doors in areas other than maritime. I think what is happening now is extremely important for European and Swedish competitiveness," he says.