Seoul: U.S. semiconductor equipment maker Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) plans to launch a new center in South Korea to expand its business cooperation with local partners and carry out research projects, the company's local office announced.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Applied Collaboration Center Korea will be situated in Osan, approximately 55 kilometers south of Seoul. The center aims to enhance overall collaboration with South Korea's semiconductor ecosystem, particularly in light of the growing focus on artificial intelligence (AI). AMAT Korea emphasized the center's role as critical infrastructure to strengthen South Korea's semiconductor ecosystem.

Park Gwang-sun, president of Applied Materials Korea, highlighted the center's dual objectives in a release. "The center will not only support domestic customers, but also play a key role in quickly realizing innovative ideas through cooperation with industrial and academic sectors," Park stated.

Since its establishment in 1989, AMAT Korea has been actively collaborating with local companies within the semiconductor industry, reinforcing its commitment to advancing technological innovation in the region.