UNIST has been selected to participate in the ‘AI Star Fellowship‘ project, a key initiative supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Institute for Info & communication Tech Planning & evaluation (IITP) aimed at nurturing top-tier early-career AI researchers and fostering innovation across various industries.
With a total project budget of KRW 11 billion over the course of six years, this project seeks to cultivate world-class emerging AI talent and develop foundational technologies vital for manufacturing and industrial advancement.
Led by Dean Jae-Young Sim of the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence at UNIST, the project involves 14 faculty members and three specialized sub-projects spearheaded by promising young researchers, including Professors Taehwan Kim (Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence), Taesik Gong (Department of Computer Science and Engineering), and Sung Whan Yoon (Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence). These teams are focused on creating industry-specific AI solutions with real-world impact.
Key initiatives include the development of multimodal environmental understanding inference models in collaboration with LG AI Research, aimed at enabling next-generation manufacturing AI capable of sophisticated reasoning across vision, language, and actions.
Another focus is on advancing ‘On-device AI‘ technologies—lightweight, adaptive neural networks designed for real-time deployment in manufacturing settings—led by Professors Taehwan Kim and Taesik Gong in partnership with Nota AI.
The program also emphasizes enhancing AI robustness and safety, working to develop reliable, trustworthy AI systems capable of maintaining high performance amid the unpredictable conditions of manufacturing environments. Led by Professor Sung Whan Yoon and SK Energy, this research aims to establish resilient AI optimization techniques rooted in robust learning theories.
Dean Jae-Young Sim highlighted the significance of this achievement, “Participating in the AI Star Fellowship program reflects UNIST’s commitment to cultivating leading AI researchers and securing essential technological capabilities. This initiative will strengthen our capacity to drive manufacturing innovation in Ulsan and the broader Southeast region.”
He further noted, “Being selected for both the AI Graduate School and the AI Star Fellowship program places UNIST among just five universities nationwide, demonstrating our comprehensive approach to AI talent development—training advanced professionals at both master’s and doctoral levels, and fostering top-tier early-career researchers.”
This recognition positions UNIST at the forefront of Korea’s efforts to accelerate industrial digital transformation through cutting-edge AI research and talent cultivation.
