Samsung Electronics Rolls Up Sleeves Again This Year to Foster Future Technologies... Supporting Research in Materials and ICT

12 Projects Selected for 2020 Samsung Future Technology Development Program Themed Research Support
Samsung Electronics Invested 1.5 Trillion Won Since 2013 to Support Science and Technology Fields

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Samsung Electronics has rolled up its sleeves again this year to support the development of Korea's future technologies in materials, ICT, and medicine.

On the 9th, Samsung Electronics announced that it has selected 12 designated-theme research support projects for the 2020 'Samsung Future Technology Development Program' and plans to provide research funding of 12.35 billion KRW. As part of the Samsung Future Technology Development Program, Samsung Electronics has been selecting and supporting designated-theme projects since 2014 to advance future science and technology fields that require national-level research.

Samsung Electronics launched the Samsung Future Technology Development Program in 2013 by investing 1.5 trillion KRW to support national future science and technology research. As of July this year, Samsung Electronics has allocated 771.3 billion KRW in research funding for a total of 601 research projects, including 201 in basic science, 199 in materials, and 201 in ICT.

Professors selected for the 2020 Samsung Future Technology Development Program designated theme research support projects.
From the left in the photo: Professor Kim Jong-pil of Dongguk University, Professor Lee Joon-gu of KAIST, Professor Jung Jin-wook of Hanyang University, Professor Cho Seung-woo of Yonsei University, Professor Choi Ri-no of Inha University.

This year, a total of 12 research projects were selected across six fields, including innovative (Disruptive) semiconductor structures and implementation technologies, cell therapies for intractable diseases, and foundational technologies for the practical application of quantum computing.

First, in the field of 'Innovative Semiconductor Structures and Implementation Technologies,' three projects aimed at overcoming the limits of semiconductor miniaturization were selected, including ▲a new etching technology using electrons (Professor Jin-wook Jung, Hanyang University) and ▲a technology to increase density by vertically stacking semiconductor devices (Professor Ri-no Choi, Inha University).

In the field of 'Cell Therapies for Intractable Diseases,' four projects were selected, including ▲development of a dedicated evaluation model for Alzheimer's cell therapy (Professor Seung-woo Cho, Yonsei University) and ▲research on gene switches responsive to specific electromagnetic waves (Professor Jong-pil Kim, Dongguk University). Samsung Electronics expects these projects to present practical therapeutic efficacy evaluation models and offer new breakthroughs in the cell therapy field by addressing issues such as long-term transplant rejection.

In the field of 'Foundational Technologies for the Practical Application of Quantum Computing,' the project titled 'NISQ (Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum) Machine Learning and Quantum Error Mitigation Foundational Technologies' (Professor Jun-gu Lee, KAIST) was selected, aiming to develop technologies applicable to machine learning and recognition algorithm calibration in quantum computing environments.

Additionally, four projects were selected in the fields of 'Next-Generation Self-Emissive Displays,' 'Next-Generation Immersive Media Devices and Processing Technologies,' and next-generation mobile communications 'B5G·6G Communication.'

The achievements of research teams supported by the Samsung Future Technology Development Program are also drawing attention. So far, 1,241 papers have been published in international journals, with 93 papers featured in top-tier international journals such as Science (5 papers) and Nature (2 papers).

In addition to research related to Korea's core industries such as semiconductors and displays, visible results have been achieved in various basic science fields including physiology and mathematical sciences. Professor Jong-woo Son's research team at KAIST succeeded in elucidating the mechanism that controls excessive salt intake, known as a cause of various adult diseases, and published their findings in Nature Communications.

Furthermore, the research results of Professor Sang-hyun Kim's team at the Institute for Basic Science on 'Mathematical Properties of Manifolds Admitting Calculus Development' were introduced in Inventiones Mathematicae, a top journal in the field of mathematical sciences.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.