Gov’t to create technology cooperation centers

Minister Ahn Duk-geun. [Courtesy of The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy]

The South Korean government has identified six prestigious institutions, including MIT, Yale University, Purdue University, Johns Hopkins University, and Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, as well as Germany’s Fraunhofer, as priority partners for its new ‘Global Industrial Technology Cooperation Centers’ project.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy made the announcement during a meeting led by Minister Ahn Duk-geun on Friday. The meeting, which focused on global open innovation strategies, underscored the country’s commitment to fostering international research and development (R&D) collaborations.

The proposed centers aim to be a platform for international joint R&D planning, partner matching, and providing local support to Korean researchers. The initiative received applications from 30 universities and research institutes across nine countries, with a rigorous selection process narrowing it down to the final six.

Each institution that was chosen brings a unique focus to the partnership: MIT will concentrate on robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), displays, and biotechnology; Yale will focus on semiconductors, and robotics/AI, Purdue on batteries and mobility; Johns Hopkins on new drug development and healthcare; Georgia Tech on semiconductors and Fraunhofer on mobility, batteries, and semiconductors.

The Ministry plans to kick off about 45 international joint R&D projects in 2024, aiming to derive a total of 100 core industrial technologies by 2028. This ambitious goal is backed by an investment of 684 billion won ($510 million) from the Korean government.

An advisory committee led by former Seoul National University President Oh Se-jung and comprising experts in international cooperation on industrial technology will oversee the cooperation centers’ operation and project identification. This committee will conduct regular reviews to ensure the initiative’s success.

Ahn expressed the government’s intention to provide comprehensive support via the six centers, facilitating all the processes necessary for international joint R&D efforts with a single platform.