MIT, Yale, Purdue Universities Collaborate with Korean Companies to Develop Robots, Semiconductors, and Batteries Together

Establishment of Global Industry Technology Cooperation Center
Announcement of 6 Priority Overseas Partner Institutions

Korean companies will now be able to dispatch research personnel to renowned overseas universities and research institutes such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Yale University, Purdue University, and Fraunhofer Institute with government support to jointly develop next-generation advanced technologies.

On the 5th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held a 'Global Open Innovation Strategy Meeting' chaired by Minister An Deok-geun at the Chosun Palace Hotel and announced six overseas institutions selected as priority negotiation targets for the 'Global Industrial Technology Cooperation Centers.'

The Global Industrial Technology Cooperation Centers are international joint research and development (R&D) platforms established within the world’s top universities or research institutes where domestic companies have high demand for technology cooperation. The government plans to establish a total of 12 centers, including six this year.

The government stated that 30 universities and research institutes from nine countries worldwide applied, and after document and presentation evaluations, six institutions were finally selected.

Accordingly, ▲ the United States’ MIT will establish centers in robotics, AI, display, and bio fields ▲ Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute in mobility (automobile, shipbuilding, aviation), battery, and semiconductor fields ▲ the United States’ Yale University in semiconductor and robotics, AI fields ▲ the United States’ Johns Hopkins University in bio (new drug development, healthcare, etc.) fields ▲ the United States’ Purdue University in battery and mobility fields ▲ and the United States’ Georgia Tech in semiconductor fields will establish cooperation centers.

Minister Andeok Geun of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is presiding over the "Global Open Innovation Strategy Meeting" on the 5th at the Chosun Palace Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, with about 20 participants including international cooperation experts in industrial technology and heads of support organizations. Photo by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

The cooperation centers will discover and carry out joint development projects between the two countries and serve as local support offices for domestic researchers. Separate offices will be set up within the overseas institutions, and dedicated coordinators will be assigned.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy aims to launch about 45 international joint R&D projects with a total budget of 57.5 billion KRW this year and derive 100 next-generation industrial core technologies by 2028. A total of 684 billion KRW will be invested over five years. Research institutions not designated as cooperation centers can also apply for projects.

The government has formed an advisory committee composed of experts in industrial technology international cooperation to regularly monitor the operation of the cooperation centers and the discovery and execution of projects. The chairperson of the advisory committee is former Seoul National University President Oh Se-jung.

At the meeting, Minister An Deok-geun stated, "Using the six cooperation centers as bases, we will provide one-stop support for all processes necessary for international joint R&D, and establish a 'Global Open Innovation Comprehensive Support Strategy' to promote various forms of global collaboration such as global mergers and acquisitions (M&A), technology transfer, licensing, and attracting outstanding technical talent."