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KIST Europe Establishes Transfercenter Sustainable Electrochemistry (2017.04.26)
- Date : 2017-08-31
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KIST Europe Establishes Transfercenter Sustainable Electrochemistry
- Expected to greatly contribute to the energy transition/storage capabilities of Germany and Korea
On April 24, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology’s (KIST) European branch (KIST Europe), in collaboration with Saarland University, opened―and will jointly operate―the Transfercenter Sustainable Electrochemistry (TSE) on Saarland University’s Dudweiler campus.
The center hosts about 20 researchers, domestic and foreign, actively divided into groups for cooperating on the development of large-capacity energy storage and fuel cells based on electrochemical technology. Professor Rolf Hempelmann from Saarland University will serve as the center’s scientific coordinator.
Since alternative/renewable energy is contingent on external environmental conditions, a large-scale energy storage system is required for utilizing it as a primary electrical source. To overcome such limitations, TSE plans to study the following: redox flow batteries, which are good for storing large amounts of eco-friendly energy; lithium-ion batteries, which store smaller, more condensed amounts of energy; and lithium-ion hybrid flow batteries, which combine the advantages of both.
Additionally, the center plans to research synthesis and conversion performed via electrochemical technology, develop functional materials as well as biochemical analysis & sensor capabilities, promote academia-industry-research cooperation between South Korea and Germany, and foster educational programs and technology transfers.
Professor Hempelmann said, "TSE’s ultimate goal is to deliver KIST Europe and Saarland University’s research outcomes to small and mid-sized enterprises working in the eco-friendly-energy electrochemical industry, and to help them create new products."
In his congratulatory address, Dr. Choi Kuiwon, director of KIST Europe, emphasized the significance of TSE, saying it "would allow for continued R&D cooperation on energy transition and storage, greatly contributing to the technological capacities of both Germany and Korea.”
KIST Europe and Saarland University first signed a joint-research agreement in 1996. From 2007 to 2011, they jointly promoted the Saar Bridge Project, which conducted research into next-generation biomedical technology. In 2015, a joint lab designed to promote R&D cooperation in the electrochemical sector was opened at KIST Europe, and it was through this lab that KIST Europe and Saarland University eventually launched TSE. Together, they have carried out multiple German government-led projects and collaborated on such things as R&D personnel exchanges and dual degree programs jointly offered by Korean and German educational institutes.