'Curie Buin-ui Gohyang' Jungbu Yureop, Hanguk Ichajeonji Yeongu Geojeom Doenda

Ministry of Science and ICT: "Strengthening Science and Technology R&D Cooperation on the Occasion of President Moon Jae-in's Visit to Hungary"
Korea Basic Science Institute to Establish (Tentative) Han-Europe Joint R&D Center in Poland
Plans to Build Research Cooperation Environment for Secondary Batteries and More

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Central Europe, the hometown of the female scientist 'Madame Curie' who discovered radium and won the Nobel Prize, known for its strong foundation in basic and applied sciences such as chemistry and astronomy, is becoming a hub for Korea's secondary battery and 4th Industrial Revolution research.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 5th that science and technology and ICT cooperation between Korea and four Central European countries will be strengthened on the occasion of President Moon Jae-in's visit to Hungary. While expanding science and technology cooperation with Hungary into the field of the 4th Industrial Revolution, various research and development cooperation activities will be carried out with the Visegr?d Group (V4: Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, a cooperation body of four Central European countries).

The Visegr?d Group (V4), consisting of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia, possesses high scientific and technological capabilities, having produced as many as 21 Nobel laureates in science and technology fields, including Marie Curie. Since signing a science and technology cooperation agreement with Hungary in 1989, Korea has operated joint science and technology committees with all four V4 countries. Both sides have continuously exchanged and cooperated in various basic and applied fields such as chemistry, astronomy, laser, and materials.

The Ministry of Science and ICT first signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for joint response to the 4th Industrial Revolution with Hungary's Ministry of Innovation and Technology on the 3rd, deciding to expand traditional science and technology cooperation into the 4th Industrial Revolution. Hungary has produced many innovative ICT companies such as Prezi, a presentation software company with over 100 million users, USTREAM, and NNG. It shows a strong commitment to technology development for digital transformation.

The Ministry of Science and ICT stated, "Our companies have entered Europe through Hungary in fields such as automobiles and electronics," adding, "In the upcoming 4th Industrial Revolution, Hungary's excellent basic science capabilities in medicine and mathematics, combined with our ICT technology cooperation, can lead to various economic opportunities in the European region."

Along with this, the Ministry of Science and ICT agreed with the V4 to establish a new Korea-V4 joint research support project in 2023, following the Korea-V4 joint research conducted over three years from 2017. To this end, detailed consultations on research and development cooperation fields and support scale will be conducted with these four countries, and budgets will be secured.

Government-funded research institutes also conduct various research collaborations with V4 research institutions. The Korea Basic Science Institute is promoting the establishment of a tentative Korea-Europe joint R&D center with Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poland. It plans to create an active research cooperation hub in Europe in areas such as nanomaterials, medicine, and secondary batteries. In particular, by building a vibrant research cooperation environment in Poland, which has high openness in science and technology, it is expected to positively impact Korean companies that have entered the European automobile industry.

The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology is expanding its existing chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) antidote research and development cooperation with the Czech Republic to Jagiellonian University (JUK) in Poland. This will establish a cooperative system linking ‘computer-based drug design (Poland) → drug synthesis (Korea) → drug efficacy evaluation (Czech Republic).’ Utilizing CBRN infrastructure possessed by the Czech Republic and Poland is expected to contribute to the advancement of domestic antidote technology.

The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute is promoting the identification of physical characteristics of long-period variable asteroids through cooperation with Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poland, which is conducting asteroid shape model analysis research using large telescopes. The V4 region has a deep astronomical history as the main activity site of Tycho Brahe and Kepler, pioneers of astronomy. The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science is developing technology to precisely measure impedance through cooperation with the Czech Metrology Institute (CMI), a standard research institution in the Czech Republic that possesses ultra-precise digital AC voltage source production and evaluation technology. Accurate impedance measurement technology, corresponding to resistance values, is expected to serve as a foundation for the growth of future industries requiring more precise operation of electronic devices such as biomedical industries.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said, "We are encouraged that President Moon’s visit to Hungary has created new opportunities for cooperation between Korea and the Visegr?d Group (V4)," adding, "We will do our best to promote more diverse research cooperation in research sites and connect them to future industries."

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