Despite economic uncertainties, local firms listed on the tech-heavy KOSDAQ market appeared to have increased their investment in 2013, according to government data on Wednesday.

A total of 241 KOSDAQ-listed firms spent a combined 3.87 trillion won ($3.59 billion) last year, compared with 3.76 trillion won a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the KOSDAQ-Listed Companies Association.

The tallied firms spent a combined 2.17 trillion won buying stakes in other firms last year, up 17.1 percent, or 316 billion won, from a year earlier.

They invested a combined 1.21 trillion won in building and improving facilities and plants last year, also up 6.4 percent from a year earlier, the data showed.

The widened scope of investment by the KOSDAQ firms also was in contrast with data from the nation’s top 30 conglomerates who cut investment in 2013, with the exception of Samsung and SK.

(hkp@heraldcorp.com)