Promotion of the '5G·MEC·AI-Based Flexible Medical System Mobile Hospital Platform' Project

Selected as a Multi-Ministry Joint Project by the Ministry of Science and ICT, Led by Yonsei University with a Consortium of 19 Institutions

The Ministry of Science and ICT (hereinafter referred to as ‘MSIT’) announced on the 26th that the project ‘Development of Mobile Flexible Medical SW Platform Technology Based on 5G and Edge Computing’ will be promoted by a consortium consisting of 19 major institutions led by Yonsei University.

Selected last year as a multi-ministerial joint project by MSIT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, this project aims to provide medical services to medically vulnerable groups in permanently underserved medical areas and emergency/disaster situations where access to medical and healthcare is limited by integrating existing medical devices with information and communication technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence. Development and demonstration will be conducted over a total of 4 years and 9 months from April 2022 to 2026.

The ‘Development of Mobile Flexible Medical SW Platform Technology Based on 5G and Edge Computing’ project is promoted by a consortium of 19 major institutions divided into three subgroups under the leadership of Yonsei University: Subgroup 1 (Yonsei University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, Ontact Health, etc.), Subgroup 2 (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Korea Electronics Technology Institute, etc.), and Subgroup 3 (Bit Computer).

The lead institution of Subgroup 1, Yonsei University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, is responsible for developing 5G and AI-based flexible medical AI software for clinical use to support medical services tailored to field situations and is currently operating its own testbed. The lead institution of Subgroup 2, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, is responsible for developing flexible medical 5G edge computing software to support mobile customized medical services in collaboration with Korea Electronics Technology Institute, SKT, and others. Bit Computer, in Subgroup 3, is responsible for developing medical information system software that links cloud hospital information systems for organic collaboration.

This project will assist medical personnel and provide medical and healthcare services by utilizing AI-based services (15 types including test support and diagnostic support) based on 5G and edge computing. Through this, it plans to develop flexible medical AI software for clinical use that guarantees accurate performance, build a testbed, and conduct linked verification through multi-ministerial demonstration.

An MSIT official stated, “This project is expected to greatly contribute to transforming the paradigm of medical services and improving the quality of life for the public by expanding healthcare services to medically underserved areas through AI diagnostic devices based on 5G technology as part of the government’s Digital New Deal policy.”