Five projects selected for Korea’s $73mn research initiative

[Courtesy of The Ministry of Science and ICT]

The South Korean government has selected five projects for its 100 billion won ($72.8 million) research initiative, which aims to achieve major breakthroughs by breaking down barriers between government-funded research institutions.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Council of Science & Technology announced Monday the final five projects selected under the “Global Top Strategic Research Working Group.”

The agendas are secondary batteries, hydrogen, advanced biotechnology, nuclear energy and semiconductors.

The Ministry of Science and ICT evaluated 51 proposals and selected 14 projects for the first round of evaluation. Ten projects were selected for the second round of evaluation, from which the final projects were selected.

The selected working groups include one on next-generation secondary battery innovation, hydrogen production system, gene and cell therapy, virtual small modular reactor (SMR) platform development, and supercomputer semiconductor.

The secondary battery working group is led by the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology and involves seven research institutes.

It will receive 26 billion won in funding this year and aim to develop high-capacity secondary batteries that can travel around the country on a single charge, lightweight secondary batteries for aviation, non-flammable secondary batteries and non-lithium secondary batteries.

The hydrogen research working group, overseen by the Korea Institute of Energy Research and involving six research institutes, will receive 17 billion won this year.

Its goal is to develop next-generation low-temperature and high-temperature electrolysis technologies to reduce the price of hydrogen from the current 10,000 won per kilogram to 3,000 won by 2035.

The Gene Research Working Group, led by the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology and involving seven research institutes, will receive 17 billion won.

It aims to develop treatment candidates for genetic visual impairment and refractory lung cancer.

The nuclear research working group led by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute with three participating research institutes will receive 20.5 billion won. It will develop a digital twin-based virtual reactor platform applicable to SMRs to support SMR verification.