3D tech firm Koh Young wins highest ESG rating two years running

Koh Young Technology Inc., a South Korean 3D image measurement tech company listed on the Kosdaq, has earned the highest AA rating from Sustinvest, Korea’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) assessment institute.

Koh Young received a score of 91.1 out of 100 in the second half of this year, earning the highest rating in two consecutive years. For its eco-friendly business environment, the firm has introduced an electric vehicle as its corporate car, transferred the lightings across the workplace to LEDs and installed EV chargers and solar power systems. Also, the company has set up the ESG committee under the board of directors to strengthen the related activities and started issuing its annual ESG report in 2020.

Sustinvest conducts research and analysis on the ESG data of Korean listed companies to advise Korean institutional investors, such as National Pension Service (NPS) and Public Officials Benefit Association (POBA), and asset managers, to advise in their ESG investment. The institute announces ESG ratings twice a year.

Founded in 2002, Koh Young is developing 3D image technology for medical robots, semiconductors, mobile devices and other sectors. The company leads the global solder paste inspection (SPI) market since 2006 and has pioneered the expansion of the 3D automated optical inspection (AOI) industry. The firm is strengthening smart factory transformation solutions and diversifying into the surgical robotics sector.​

In July of this year, it signed an agreement with Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, one of the biggest hospitals in the country to supply its 3D neurosurgery robot KYMERO. Koh Young developed the surgical robot in 2016 as a government project of 20.7 billion won ($17.4 million) and is now seeking approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for global commercialization of the robot.

Write to Dong-hyun Kim at 3code@hankyung.com
Jihyun Kim edited this article.