Samsung Electronics Selected for Future Technology Development Project Support in the First Half of This Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Samsung Electronics announced on the 5th the research projects to be supported from the first half of this year through the Samsung Future Technology Development Program. A total of 27 projects were selected this time, including 13 in basic science, 7 in materials, and 7 in ICT, with research funding of 46.4 billion KRW.

The selected projects include many that help solve social issues such as artificial intelligence (AI) ethics and infertility, as well as projects that can improve quality of life, such as non-contact bioelectric measurement. Including this round, Samsung Electronics has supported a total of 667 research projects with 864.4 billion KRW in funding: 229 in basic science, 215 in materials, and 223 in ICT.

Professors selected for the Samsung Future Technology Development Project support in the first half of 2021. From the left, Professor Ryu Kyung-seok of Seoul National University, Professor Hwang Seung-jun of POSTECH, Professor Cho Kyu-bong of Sogang University, Professor Cho Chang-hee of DGIST, Professor Kim Gun-hee of Seoul National University, Professor Kim Ki-woong of Chungbuk National University. Photo by Samsung Electronics

By field, in basic science, a total of 13 projects were selected, including those expected to be world-first or have significant ripple effects if successful, based on original ideas. Professor Kyungseok Ryu of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Seoul National University is challenging research to mathematically identify for the first time in the world the commonalities among various learning models used in machine learning. Utilizing this could dramatically enhance AI’s ability to acquire diverse learning models.

Professor Seungjun Hwang of the Department of Chemistry at POSTECH plans to use molecules called "crown ethers," named for their crown-like shape, as chemical catalysts to significantly improve material conversion efficiency. It is expected to contribute to solving challenges such as carbon dioxide decomposition, a cause of global warming, by utilizing the "local electric field" generated by crown ether molecules.

In the materials field, 7 projects are supported across a wide range of research areas including DNA sequencing and quantum light sources. Professor Gyubong Cho of the Department of Chemistry at Sogang University will conduct research to completely decode the Y chromosome DNA sequence, which remains unknown even after the Human Genome Project. This project is expected to contribute to research on Y chromosome-related infertility diseases such as male infertility and to personalized genetic medicine.

Professor Changhee Cho of the Department of New Materials Science at DGIST will develop light source technology for quantum communication. The project aims to realize a quantum communication light source operable at room temperature by controlling the crystal structure of the "perovskite" material, which currently only operates at ultra-low temperatures. This research is anticipated to accelerate the commercialization of room-temperature quantum cryptography communication by overcoming the difficulty of maintaining ultra-low temperature conditions.

In the ICT field, 7 projects were selected in core technology research areas to strengthen future industrial competitiveness, including artificial intelligence and non-contact bioelectric signal measurement. Professor Gunhee Kim of the Department of Computer Science at Seoul National University is addressing issues such as privacy infringement, bias related to gender, and factual errors that may arise with AI technology development. This research is expected to develop AI that complies with social norms and is trustworthy.

Professor Kiwoong Kim of the Department of Computer Science at Chungbuk National University plans to develop technology to measure electrical signals generated in the body, such as electrocardiograms and electroencephalograms, using a non-contact method. This technology is expected to be usefully applied in medical fields such as patient condition monitoring and driver monitoring.

The Samsung Future Technology Development Program is a public research support project launched by Samsung Electronics in 2013 with an endowment of 1.5 trillion KRW, aiming to foster and support science and technology that will lead Korea’s future. Every year, projects to be supported are selected in the first and second halves in the fields of basic science, materials, and ICT, and through an annual designated theme project call, future technology fields necessary for the nation are designated and supported.

Additionally, various programs are operated, including an annual forum where principal investigators explain research outcomes and key issues and gain new ideas through discussions with attending researchers; R&D exchange meetings to enhance industrial utilization of research results; and IP mentoring to support patent applications with high utilization. The call for designated theme projects this year is scheduled to continue until the 16th of this month, and detailed information can be found on the Samsung Future Technology Development Program website.

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