UNIST has established an industry-academia alliance with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (HHI) to pursue cooperative research projects in a variety of areas, including shipbuilding, offshore, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
On March 8, UNIST signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd. (KSOE, formerly Hyundai Heavy Industries) to forge ahead toward achieving scientific excellence. This was followed by the official signboard-hanging ceremony of the UNIST-HHI Research Cooperation Center.
In the memorandum of understanding, the two organizations also promised to form a strategic partnerships for the purpose of strengthening capacity of existing industries and laying the groundwork for the promotion of new promising industries. The primary purpose of this partnership is to achieve joint progress toward the future by strengthening their research capabilities and actively pursuing joint development projects, utilizing each other’s excellent infrastructure and resources.
Under the direction of Professor Ounyoung Park in the School of Mechanical Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, the center will carry out a wide range of joint research activities in the following fields of shipbuilding, offshore, electrical and electronic equipment, construction machinery, robotics, and AI. Other faculty members with excellent research capabilities in their respective fields will participate, as well.
UNIST plans to boost the competitiveness of the Korean shipbuilding and marine industry on the basis of its innovative research capabilities in the areas of hydrogen energy, catalyst, 3D printing, nuclear energy, AI, and national defense technology.
“Some of the innovative research being carried out at UNIST have the potential to lead the advancement of the future manufacturing industry,” says UNIST President Yonghoon Lee. “We expect that this partnership will be a great help not only to the revitalization of local industry, but also to the nation’s economic growth, if rigorous research and the creation of new industries are achieved.”
The ceremony has been attended by UNIST President Yonghoon Lee, UNIST Vice President Jaiyong Lee, Director Soon-Yong Kwon (Office of University-Industry Relations, UNIST), Professor Young-Bin Par (School of Mechanical Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, UNIST), Professor Ounyoung Park (School of Mechanical Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, UNIST), Professor Namhun Kim (School of Mechanical Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering, UNIST), Director Won-Ho Joo of the Advanced Research Center from KSOE, and other key representatives from Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering.