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"International cooperation is essential for world-class technology"...KIST Europe
- Date : 2023-09-19
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"International cooperation is essential for world-class technology"...KIST Europe, a local base for promoting international cooperation in R&D
- Korea's sole overseas government-funded research institute located in Germany aims to serve as a bridgehead for international expansion through joint research and exchanges
- 15 promising startups will come to Germany in the second half of this year
- Presents an opportunity for integrating Korean productivity and German precision
The Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology (EKC2023) was held in Germany at the Technical University of Munich’s Science Congress Center from 14 to 18 August.
With the topic of strengthening international cooperation in R&D having emerged as a major issue in Korea alongside the move to pre-empt the race for technological hegemony among the major powers, this conference was held to provide opportunities for Korean scientists from various fields, particularly secondary batteries, bio, renewable energy, hydrogen, aerospace, AI, and 5G technologies, to share their insights. Organized by KIST and KIST Europe, the event drew a great deal of attention from leading research institutes in Korea, including the NST, IBS, KRICT, KRIBB, Postech, GIST, Samsung, Hanwha, and SK, as well as the Fraunhofer and Max Planck Institutes in Germany. More than 1,000 researchers from both Korea and from European universities gathered together to take part in technical and human resource exchange activities through a total of 70 sessions and a recruitment fair over the course of four days.
A special session on KIST Europe was held on 15 August, where the role of KIST Europe in leading international collaboration was introduced, as well as the ambitious international collaborative research support projects being pursued by the National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST), which is currently promoting KIST Europe as a local base for international cooperation in R&D.
"Science and technology are at the core of the competition for national supremacy," said Kim Bok-chul, Chairperson of the NST, a participant in the event. "Through globalization, Korea has been able to elevate itself from a middle-income to a developed country," he said, emphasizing the need for international cooperation in the development of science and technology.
In addition, among the 25 government-funded research institutes under the Korean government, only 12 operate overseas research institutes, and among those, KIST Europe is the only one in Europe. Chairperson Kim stated that KIST Europe has been playing a pivotal role in international collaboration, and evaluated that "many systematic international collaboration efforts have been carried out in the past two years."
During a special session of the conference, international cooperation cases across various research fields were introduced, as well as future potential uses of the results of such cases. Pursuing international cooperation in science and technology is stipulated in Korea's Basic Act on Science and Technology, signifying its importance. In fact, the international cooperation research budget for joint science and technology research has been steadily increasing, rising by more than KRW 50 billion between 2021 and 2022 to reach KRW 115.6 billion.
However, despite this increase, the international cooperation research budget is still a small proportion of the overall budget for government-funded research institutes, accounting for just 3.24% of the total budget of KRW 3.5637 trillion in 2022. One expert who took part in the special session emphasized the importance of flexibility in the budget for international cooperation by project, along with expansion of the budget for research exchanges and cooperation and support through institutions.
- Bringing together theoretical and applied experts to accelerate the development of next-generation batteries
Currently, KIST Europe, the Korea Institute of Energy Technology, and Germany’s Forschungszentrum Jülich institute are working on a project funded by the National Research Council of Science and Technology, titled "the development of a zinc-based battery system using ionic liquids." Zinc batteries are currently regarded as a promising next-generation technology for secondary batteries, due to their potential to overcome the limitations of existing lithium-ion batteries, such as high cost, lack of financial resources, and risk of fire. In particular, unlike sodium batteries, another next-generation candidate, zinc batteries can be tested at room temperature. However, there is still much basic academic research to be done in order to move forward. Korea has already secured its position among the world's top competitors in battery technology, especially in the applied fields, but from a global perspective, Korea is considered to be relatively weak in the theoretical side of basic science.
Given the high reputation Forschungszentrum Jülich has for basic science, this collaboration is expected to bridge gaps and generate synergy in technology development. In particular, it will be important to identify the mechanism occurring between electrodes and electrolytes in order to increase the energy density and durability of the batteries, and it was announced during the session that active research is being conducted in this area through cooperation with Germany.
- Determining health risks through 3D structures
International collaboration led by the European Research Centre is also driving research to evaluate the effects of certain medicines on the human body. In particular, experts from KIST Europe, the Korea Institute of Toxicology, and the Max Planck Institute in Germany are working together to evaluate the effects of toxic substances on the human liver. Compared to the past, the development process of biopharmaceuticals has become extremely complex, making it difficult to determine their effects on the human body. This is especially true in light of the current ban on animal testing.
In the international collaborative research presented in this special session, Dr. Yu Bin Lee of the Korea Institute of Toxicology, who majored in tissue engineering, presented a 3D model of human cells which more accurately simulates the effects of substances than existing 2D models. The vast amount of data generated by this research is being analysed in detail at the Max Planck Institute, down to the gene level, to derive an evaluation system that can determine the effects of a particular drug and in what part of the body those effects occur.
The special session, hosted by KIST Europe, was well received, with five presentations taking place over a total of four hours to a full house, confirming the growing interest among professionals in international cooperation.
[Interview] "Like President Park Chung-hee's foresight in creating the K-Autobahn...KIST Europe represents a highway for Korean scientists"
The following day, on the 16th, the Director of KIST Europe, Dr. Soo Hyun Kim, was interviewed by the Korea Science Reporters Association at the same venue.
"As the global technological hegemony war intensifies, we need to seek out answers through networking," said Dr. Kim, who stressed that "science and technology is also a human endeavour." In addition, he commented that "KIST Europe was established with the determination to strengthen global R&D cooperation at a time when Korean science and technology was not yet recognised abroad," adding that "the foresight of long ago has now become like flowers blossoming one by one."
A prime example of this is the Korean Startups to Europe Programme, which will launch in the second half of the year in partnership with Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) and the Economic Promotion Corporation of the German state of Saarland(gwSaar). Fifteen startups selected through a separate screening process are scheduled to head to Germany next month, with five of them to be selected to go through the process of being established as full-fledged European startups.
"Through the process of conducting collaborative research in the region and interacting with European institutions over a long period of time, KIST Europe has been naturally integrated into the European scene, and I believe that these activities have become a highway connecting Korea and Europe," stated Dr. Kim. "Owing to this, we have been able to receive active support from the Saarland Economic Promotion Corporation with launching domestic startups."
As news of the programme has spread through the region, local companies have been inquiring about it. Regarding this, Dr. Kim expressed hope for the future, commenting, "Recently, several German companies have contacted us to inquire if it is possible to enter Korea through the programme," adding, "The current administration is emphasizing the importance of international cooperation, and since we already have the infrastructure in place, I believe that we will be able to make effective use of it."
[MoU] Korea Science Journalists Association - KIST Europe, "Business Agreement to Promote Science Media"
Shortly after the interview, an agreement was signed with the Korea Science Journalists Association to promote science media and raise public awareness of the joint R&D achievements between Korea and Europe. The agreement will serve to promote the exchange of information on the latest policy trends and scientific achievements of the two countries, and contribute to advancing cooperation in the promotion of science journalism in Korea and the dissemination of the results of bilateral R&D through the running of training programmes, which will provide science journalists opportunities to enhance their capabilities.- Korea's sole overseas government-funded research institute located in Germany aims to serve as a bridgehead for international expansion through joint research and exchanges
- 15 promising startups will come to Germany in the second half of this year
- Presents an opportunity for integrating Korean productivity and German precision
The Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology (EKC2023) was held in Germany at the Technical University of Munich’s Science Congress Center from 14 to 18 August.
With the topic of strengthening international cooperation in R&D having emerged as a major issue in Korea alongside the move to pre-empt the race for technological hegemony among the major powers, this conference was held to provide opportunities for Korean scientists from various fields, particularly secondary batteries, bio, renewable energy, hydrogen, aerospace, AI, and 5G technologies, to share their insights. Organized by KIST and KIST Europe, the event drew a great deal of attention from leading research institutes in Korea, including the NST, IBS, KRICT, KRIBB, Postech, GIST, Samsung, Hanwha, and SK, as well as the Fraunhofer and Max Planck Institutes in Germany. More than 1,000 researchers from both Korea and from European universities gathered together to take part in technical and human resource exchange activities through a total of 70 sessions and a recruitment fair over the course of four days.
A special session on KIST Europe was held on 15 August, where the role of KIST Europe in leading international collaboration was introduced, as well as the ambitious international collaborative research support projects being pursued by the National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST), which is currently promoting KIST Europe as a local base for international cooperation in R&D.
"Science and technology are at the core of the competition for national supremacy," said Kim Bok-chul, Chairperson of the NST, a participant in the event. "Through globalization, Korea has been able to elevate itself from a middle-income to a developed country," he said, emphasizing the need for international cooperation in the development of science and technology.
In addition, among the 25 government-funded research institutes under the Korean government, only 12 operate overseas research institutes, and among those, KIST Europe is the only one in Europe. Chairperson Kim stated that KIST Europe has been playing a pivotal role in international collaboration, and evaluated that "many systematic international collaboration efforts have been carried out in the past two years."
During a special session of the conference, international cooperation cases across various research fields were introduced, as well as future potential uses of the results of such cases. Pursuing international cooperation in science and technology is stipulated in Korea's Basic Act on Science and Technology, signifying its importance. In fact, the international cooperation research budget for joint science and technology research has been steadily increasing, rising by more than KRW 50 billion between 2021 and 2022 to reach KRW 115.6 billion.
However, despite this increase, the international cooperation research budget is still a small proportion of the overall budget for government-funded research institutes, accounting for just 3.24% of the total budget of KRW 3.5637 trillion in 2022. One expert who took part in the special session emphasized the importance of flexibility in the budget for international cooperation by project, along with expansion of the budget for research exchanges and cooperation and support through institutions.
- Bringing together theoretical and applied experts to accelerate the development of next-generation batteries
Currently, KIST Europe, the Korea Institute of Energy Technology, and Germany’s Forschungszentrum Jülich institute are working on a project funded by the National Research Council of Science and Technology, titled "the development of a zinc-based battery system using ionic liquids." Zinc batteries are currently regarded as a promising next-generation technology for secondary batteries, due to their potential to overcome the limitations of existing lithium-ion batteries, such as high cost, lack of financial resources, and risk of fire. In particular, unlike sodium batteries, another next-generation candidate, zinc batteries can be tested at room temperature. However, there is still much basic academic research to be done in order to move forward. Korea has already secured its position among the world's top competitors in battery technology, especially in the applied fields, but from a global perspective, Korea is considered to be relatively weak in the theoretical side of basic science.
Given the high reputation Forschungszentrum Jülich has for basic science, this collaboration is expected to bridge gaps and generate synergy in technology development. In particular, it will be important to identify the mechanism occurring between electrodes and electrolytes in order to increase the energy density and durability of the batteries, and it was announced during the session that active research is being conducted in this area through cooperation with Germany.
- Determining health risks through 3D structures
International collaboration led by the European Research Centre is also driving research to evaluate the effects of certain medicines on the human body. In particular, experts from KIST Europe, the Korea Institute of Toxicology, and the Max Planck Institute in Germany are working together to evaluate the effects of toxic substances on the human liver. Compared to the past, the development process of biopharmaceuticals has become extremely complex, making it difficult to determine their effects on the human body. This is especially true in light of the current ban on animal testing.
In the international collaborative research presented in this special session, Dr. Yu Bin Lee of the Korea Institute of Toxicology, who majored in tissue engineering, presented a 3D model of human cells which more accurately simulates the effects of substances than existing 2D models. The vast amount of data generated by this research is being analysed in detail at the Max Planck Institute, down to the gene level, to derive an evaluation system that can determine the effects of a particular drug and in what part of the body those effects occur.
The special session, hosted by KIST Europe, was well received, with five presentations taking place over a total of four hours to a full house, confirming the growing interest among professionals in international cooperation.
[Interview] "Like President Park Chung-hee's foresight in creating the K-Autobahn...KIST Europe represents a highway for Korean scientists"
The following day, on the 16th, the Director of KIST Europe, Dr. Soo Hyun Kim, was interviewed by the Korea Science Reporters Association at the same venue.
"As the global technological hegemony war intensifies, we need to seek out answers through networking," said Dr. Kim, who stressed that "science and technology is also a human endeavour." In addition, he commented that "KIST Europe was established with the determination to strengthen global R&D cooperation at a time when Korean science and technology was not yet recognised abroad," adding that "the foresight of long ago has now become like flowers blossoming one by one."
A prime example of this is the Korean Startups to Europe Programme, which will launch in the second half of the year in partnership with Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) and the Economic Promotion Corporation of the German state of Saarland(gwSaar). Fifteen startups selected through a separate screening process are scheduled to head to Germany next month, with five of them to be selected to go through the process of being established as full-fledged European startups.
"Through the process of conducting collaborative research in the region and interacting with European institutions over a long period of time, KIST Europe has been naturally integrated into the European scene, and I believe that these activities have become a highway connecting Korea and Europe," stated Dr. Kim. "Owing to this, we have been able to receive active support from the Saarland Economic Promotion Corporation with launching domestic startups."
As news of the programme has spread through the region, local companies have been inquiring about it. Regarding this, Dr. Kim expressed hope for the future, commenting, "Recently, several German companies have contacted us to inquire if it is possible to enter Korea through the programme," adding, "The current administration is emphasizing the importance of international cooperation, and since we already have the infrastructure in place, I believe that we will be able to make effective use of it."
[MoU] Korea Science Journalists Association - KIST Europe, "Business Agreement to Promote Science Media"
Shortly after the interview, an agreement was signed with the Korea Science Journalists Association to promote science media and raise public awareness of the joint R&D achievements between Korea and Europe. The agreement will serve to promote the exchange of information on the latest policy trends and scientific achievements of the two countries, and contribute to advancing cooperation in the promotion of science journalism in Korea and the dissemination of the results of bilateral R&D through the running of training programmes, which will provide science journalists opportunities to enhance their capabilities.