S. Korea poised for leap forward in robotics industry

SEOUL, March 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is aiming to boost its robotics technology and manufacturing infrastructure to become one of the top three global robot manufacturers by 2013, the government said Wednesday.

To that end, the government wants to inject 1 trillion won (US$676 million) into
robotics research and development over the next five years, the Ministry of
Knowledge Economy said in a public hearing, unveiling a blueprint for the local
robotics industry.
The master plan also calls for local robotics companies to expand into
recreational, surveillance, medical services, fire fighting, and transportation
robots.
With increased spending, the country's share of the global robotics industry is
likely to rose to 13.3 percent by the target year from 5.7 percent in 2007, it
said.
In terms of robotics, South Korea currently ranks fifth in the world, according
to the International Federation of Robotics. Japan leads the sector, followed by
the United States, Germany and Italy.
Local robot production grew 18.8 percent on-year to 895.7 billion won in 2008,
with the global market size topping $8.1 billion. In 2013, South Korea's output
is likely to reach 4 trillion won with the worldwide market hitting $30 billion,
the ministry said.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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