WILCO Co., Ltd. (WILCO), a deep tech materials startup, has successfully localized its proprietary low-dielectric copper clad laminate (CCL) material ‘NURI-35’ and begun supplying it for the overseas export of the Cheongung-II (M-SAM) missile defense radar system led by Hanwha Systems.

With this achievement, WILCO has emerged as a key player in Korea’s defense supply chain by replacing critical imported materials and reducing supply risks. ‘NURI-35’ is a high-frequency CCL featuring a dielectric constant (Dk) of 3.5 and a low dissipation factor (Df) of 0.002. After passing extensive proof-of-concept (PoC) evaluations with Hanwha Systems and partner companies, the material was officially approved for use in the multifunction radar systems of Cheongung-II.

Currently, NURI-35 is deployed in export-bound radar systems for countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, marking the first instance of a domestically developed low-dielectric electronic material being applied to a major Korean defense system for global markets.

Until now, the high-frequency CCL market has been dominated by U.S., Japanese, and European suppliers, making it difficult for domestic SMEs to enter the space. WILCO overcame these barriers with proprietary materials engineering and in-house process development, building out a full-scale manufacturing system.

WILCO CEO Sangwon Park stated, “It is an extremely rigorous process for startups to have their materials validated and adopted into national defense systems by leading companies like Hanwha Systems. We are deeply grateful for their trust and support.”

He added, “This is a model case of meaningful collaboration between a large corporation and a startup. We plan to further expand our low-Dk material technologies into satellite communication, autonomous driving radar, and aerospace systems.”