LG Electronics and KAIST to cooperate on health tech development

LG Electronics will cooperate with KAIST to establish a Digital Health Care Research & Development Center, aiming to tap into the growing digital health-monitoring market.

LG Electronics Chief Technology Officer Park Il-pyung, left, and Kaist's Vice President for Research Lee Sang-yup pose for a photo after signing a memorandum of understanding Friday. [LG ELECTRONICS]

LG Electronics will cooperate with KAIST to establish a Digital Health Care Research & Development Center, aiming to tap into the growing digital health-monitoring market.

The electronics maker signed a memorandum of understanding Friday with KAIST to build the center at the university in Yuseong District, Daejeon.

The two will jointly pursue various projects to develop technology related to monitoring health conditions of individuals by analyzing brain signals and other readings. The center will aim to monitor both physical and mental health. Developments will be applied to the company’ new business projects and appliances in the health field.

LG Electronics said it plans to utilize the technologies in its smart homes and connected-car products and even in the metaverse.

The research center will be headed by Jeong Yong, a bio and brain engineering professor at the university and head of the KAIST Institute for Health Science and Technology.

“LG Electronics is ready to provide customer value in the health care sector through smart appliances,” said Park Il-pyung, chief technology officer at LG Electronics. “By continuing to lead in the digital technology sector with KAIST, which has global competitiveness in fields regarding biomedical engineering, we will research innovative technologies and find new business opportunities in the health care field.”

LG Electronics offers a range of health care appliances, such as air purifiers and stylers, clothes steamers said to kill bacteria and reduce allergens. It released the Medihair hair-loss treatment device last year and skin care appliances, such as the Derma LED Mask and Derma LED Neck Care.

The two have worked in the past, opening a 6G Research Lab in 2019 and developing core technologies related to 6G wireless networks.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]