Groundbreaking held for Asia Operations Center scale-up, fulfilling earlier investment pledge

Kang Gam-chan, director general for trade and investment at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, delivers remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday. [Yonhap]
Kang Gam-chan, director general for trade and investment at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, delivers remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday. [Yonhap]

US semiconductor equipment maker Axcelis Technologies will expand its Asia-Pacific manufacturing hub in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The scale-up is expected to significantly boost annual production capacity for ion implantation equipment — devices that inject ultrafine particles into semiconductors to control electrical conductivity — and strengthen South Korea's semiconductor supply chain.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced Tuesday that Axcelis held a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of its Axcelis Asia Operations Center (AAOC) at the Oseong Industrial Complex in Pyeongtaek.

About 60 people attended the ceremony, including Axcelis Technologies Chief Executive Russell Ro, Axcelis Korea President Park Young-geun, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Director General for Trade and Investment Kang Gam-chan, Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, Pyeongtaek Mayor Choi Won-yong, and representatives from domestic client and partner companies.

The AAOC expansion fulfills an investment commitment announced at a foreign direct investment signing ceremony held in the United States in September, presided over by Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Kim Jung-kwan. At the time, the ministry announced that Axcelis and three other US companies had pledged a combined $2 billion in foreign direct investment in South Korea.

Axcelis established the AAOC in 2021 and has since supplied ion implantation equipment to domestic clients including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, while also exporting directly to countries across the Asia-Pacific region, including China, Japan and Singapore.

The company plans to transform the AAOC from a production base into a comprehensive hub encompassing research and development, prototype manufacturing and technical training, positioning it as a key center for the Asia-Pacific region.

"Axcelis's investment is a meaningful vote of confidence in South Korea's semiconductor industry," Kang said. "We hope the AAOC expansion will further strengthen Korea's semiconductor supply chain and serve as a stepping stone for Axcelis to reach the next level of growth."

Kang added that the Korean government would work closely with Gyeonggi Province and Pyeongtaek to monitor conditions on the ground and ensure the investment proceeds smoothly.


oskymoon@heraldcorp.com