• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.31-46
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• 2019

Materials and Parts acts as the bridge in the manufacturing industry. In 2018, the materials and parts industry became the leading industry in Korea as its export reached $316.2 billion, accounting for 52.3 percent of the country's total exports. As such, it is the main industry of Korea leading the trade surplus, but when it comes to Japan, it is not. The trade deficit with Japan shrinks to $24 billion last year but the materials and parts industry still accounts for 60 percent of total deficit, which is about $15.1 billion. Today Japan has the top competitiveness in the high-tech materials and parts industry and the factors can be found in cooperation and symbiosis among companies, monotsukuri spirit, and long-term government policy. In order for Korean economy to pursue the Japan's high-tech materials and parts industry, the following change of perception is necessary. First, the material and parts industry requires win-win cooperation. In general, materials and parts are intermediate products. Therefore, it is important to understand the characterist that the transactions are all made up between companies not the with consumers. Second, expansion of joint technology development is absolutely necessary. South Korea is a leading country in the field of general-purpose materials and parts. However, the research shows that South Korea has structure which small and medium-sized companies could have difficulties in developing high-tech products as finding demand and developing market are hard due to low participation of large corporations at R&D stage. It is necessary for large corporations to participate in joint R&D and share opinions of customers from the beginning stage of R&D. Third, a long-term approach is needed. Structural vulnerabilities in the Korea's materials and parts industry, including the lack of advanced technologies is the main reason of solidification of Korea's trade deficit with Japan but there are also cultural differences about technology in the background. Even if it takes time, a long-term approach is absolutely necessary to build up technology and know-how in order to secure competitiveness in the high-tech materials and parts industry. This approach applies to act of corporation and government policy.