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■ The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) announced on the 24th that its ‘large-area perovskite solar cell commercialization technology’ was selected as the top achievement in the energy and environment category of the ‘100 Excellent National R&D Achievements of 2025,’ released by the Ministry of Science and ICT. Principal Researcher Jeon Nam-joong’s team was recognized for breaking the world record for perovskite solar cell efficiency nine times and for pursuing commercialization through collaboration with companies. By developing uniform coating techniques and new materials, the research team became the first in the world to achieve 20% efficiency in large-area solar cells, a critical step for commercialization. Principal Researcher Jeon has also been named a ‘Highly Cited Researcher’ by Clarivate Analytics in the U.S. for four consecutive years since 2022.
■ The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced on the 24th that First Vice Minister Koo Hyuk-chae visited Nanoforge AI, a company specializing in AI-based materials discovery, to inspect its autonomous research lab and hold a meeting with experts from industry, academia, and research. This visit was the 11th event of ‘Project Empathy 118,’ aimed at examining the status of private autonomous laboratory construction. Nanoforge AI is leading the digital transformation of materials R&D by exploring 30,000 new materials annually, combining AI-based material design with robotic automation systems.
■ On the 24th, MSIT held a ‘Comprehensive Meeting with Science and Technology Societies’ at the Korea Science and Technology Center, co-hosting with the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies and inviting 65 major academic societies. MSIT presented the ‘Directions for Science and Technology R&D in 2026,’ outlining key initiatives such as fostering strategic technologies, strengthening fundamental R&D capabilities, transitioning to an AI-based research paradigm, and introducing a data-driven R&D management system.
■ The University of Science and Technology (UST) announced on the 24th that it will actively promote student startups in collaboration with five national research institute schools. UST and the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, and Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials signed a ‘Joint Agreement to Foster UST Student Startups Based on Public Technology from Government-Funded Research Institutes’ at the UST main campus. Key elements of the agreement include establishing a professor-student collaborative startup model, discovering and mentoring student entrepreneurs, and providing technology, research space, and equipment from the participating institutes.
■ The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) announced on the 24th that a record five of its projects were selected for the ‘100 Excellent National R&D Achievements of 2025,’ the most in the institute’s history. Four projects were chosen in the machinery and materials category, and one in the energy and environment category. The winning technologies are: △ Development and commercialization of stainless magnesium material (Principal Researcher Kim Young-min); △ Manganese-bismuth magnet technology (Principal Researcher Park Ji-hoon); △ Ultra-thin electromagnetic wave absorbing material (Principal Researcher Lee Sang-bok); △ Cancer diagnosis technology based on 3D plasmonic nanomaterials (Senior Researcher Jeong Ho-sang); and △ Non-precious metal material technology for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (Principal Researcher Choi Seung-mok).
■ The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) announced on the 24th that it held a plaque unveiling ceremony on the 23rd to commemorate its ‘Geobigdata Open Platform’ obtaining CoreTrustSeal (CTS) international certification. It is the second research data repository in Korea and the first in the geoscience and mineral resources field to receive this certification. The CTS certification is an international standard that recognizes the reliability of research data repositories, making the Geobigdata Open Platform the only repository in its field in Asia to currently hold this certification.
■ The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) and the Seoul Water Regeneration Facilities Corporation announced on the 24th that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the ‘Production and Demonstration of Photocatalysts Based on Sewage Sediment.’ The plan is to establish a resource-circulating technology model by applying KICT’s ‘photocatalyst technology for sludge treatment and fine dust reduction’ to actual facilities.
