The Crystal Valley Conference and Exhibition 2006 (CVCE2006, www.crystalvalley.org) will kick off from November 22, 2006 over three days. Governor Lee Wan-gu, Chungcheongnamdo (Chungnam) spoke about the conference by saying: "The display industry is the nation's next-generation growth engine industry as well as Chungnam's foremost strategic industry, whose contribution degree is high for employment creation and local economy activation since its export's relative importance, manufacturing industry ratio and related industry's effect are very big."
Actually, Chungnam's display industry has been maintaining a steady growth pace, starting from leading corporate investment in the middle of the 1990s. As a result, Chungnam accounts for 13.9 percent of display company distribution nationwide, approximately 35 percent of total domestic display production, and 49.8 percent of national display export as of 2006.
Aggressive inducement
Concerning the province's favorable location, governor Lee explains: "In the case of Chungnam, new technology development like technology convergence is promising since approximately 100 related corporations are doing their business centering around Asan and Cheonan, manpower supply is smooth due to associated research institutes as well as university and particularly IT industry as well as petrochemical industry are well being developed like semiconductor and telecommunication."
The governor emphasizes that Chungnam is striking root as the optimal place for the display industry as Chungnam display industry's productivity as well as growth appear to be the highest nationwide. This is a result of national balanced development policy.
For the construction of Chungnam Crystal Valley, a worldwide display industry hub, he introduced: "Chungnam is forming Chungnam Crystal Valley, the largest display cluster in the world both nominally and virtually, of 4.18 million pyeong [13.794 million square meters] scale in a total of 14 complexes such as Asan Tanggeong T/C 1/2 complex, the largest module production venue in the world of 1.40 million pyeong [4.62 million square meters] scale, and Asan Techno Valley of 750,000 pyeong [2.475 million square meters]."
Moreover, it is said that Chungnam is commencing a full-scale corporate support service like component and materials assessment by erecting a Display Industry Support Center near the Tanggeong area in which 47.6 billion won (US$50.11 million) was invested for the purpose of corporate technology innovation as well as systematic corporate support, according to Lee.
Governor Lee said that projects to nurture talent are being set up with priority given to universities in Asan and Cheonan including an undergraduate-centered display manpower nurturing project in which 39.1 billion won (US$30.63 million) was invested.
Alongside this the province has other investments under way in order to nurture Chungnam as a center of new display technology and as an R&D cradle. Among these investments is a local industry technology development project worth 26 billion won (US$27.40 million) and a display R&D cluster construction project worth 23.4 billion won (US$25.00 million) according to officials responsible for the province's investment affairs.
Besides, the Chungnam Display Cooperation Agency was launched on March 2005 as a private-initiative council to promote synergy effect maximization between projects regarding the display industry. Chungnam plans to complete Chungnam Crystal Valley early as well as to boost brand awareness by maximizing marketing business outcomes and local innovation capacity by means of this Agency.
The governor furthermore promised aggressive superior corporation as well as laboratory inducement at home and abroad and additional active foreigner exclusive complex formation. In addition, a Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability model new city development in the outskirts of Chungan Asan station will improve lifestyle conditions of incoming manpower.
Latest technology presentation In conjunction with CVCE2006, the governor notes that this Conference and Exhibition is to acquaint the world with Chungnam Crystal Valley and to nurture this region as a center of new technology as well as business. In connection with expectations, he further stressed: "This Conference and Exhibition takes place as part of efforts to nurture this region as a representative hub of world display industry, which is on a par with Silicon Valley, a worldwide center place of semiconductor industry." This year's CVCE2006, which takes place with twin themes of LCD Backlight and Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED), is slated to hold a display manpower recruiting expo and on-thescene tour of each corporation as a collateral event. At this industry exhibition to serve as a ground of brisk information exchange, leading corporations such as Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDI, and Samsung Corning Precision Glass are expected to take part, Lee said, expressing big hopes that latest technology presentation of the best global minds will be presented. On top of that, the governor underlines that the recruiting expo to be held alongside of CVCE2006 plans to offer diverse information plus get employment opportunities of diverse display-related companies. He sincerely hoped that CVCE would advance into an internationalized exhibition, consolidating display industry cluster construction through cooperation between industry, school, laboratory and government.
