Pohang City to Strengthen Exchange in UK Nano and Materials Technology... Accelerating Discovery of Future Growth Engines

Visit and Exchange Cooperation with National Graphene Institute in Manchester, UK and Nanoflexus

Active Promotion of Gangso R&D Special Zone, Expanding Global Network in Advanced Industries

Pohang City is participating in the 'Europe-Korea Conference (EKC) 2024' held in Coventry, United Kingdom, where it is operating an exclusive promotional booth and building networks with local organizations to discover future growth opportunities in the nano and materials technology sector.

Pohang City visited and inspected an institution leading the world in the field of nano material technology on the 31st of last month and took a commemorative photo with NanoPlexus officials. (From the left, 4th Jaejong Byun, CEO of NanoPlexus; 5th Hyunjun Seo, Head of Battery Advanced Industry Division)

On the 31st of last month, the city visited the National Graphene Institute (NGI) in Manchester, UK, a world leader in advanced materials and graphene research, as well as Nanoplexus, a company mass-producing MXene, an emerging next-generation material. The delegation studied trends in the UK's nano and materials technology sector and actively promoted the region's research infrastructure.

The National Graphene Institute in Manchester is an affiliate of the University of Manchester and the world's largest graphene research institute. Established in 2013, it has received investments from the UK government, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and the Royal Society of London, among others.

In particular, the institute is internationally recognized as a leader in advanced materials and graphene research, aiming for mass production by applying graphene, known as the 'dream material,' to various fields such as semiconductors, displays, and secondary batteries.

Nanoplexus is a spin-out company from the University of Manchester, headquartered at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC). Founded in 2019 by CEO Byun Jaejong, the company mass-produces MXene, a two-dimensional nanomaterial, and develops applied products.

MXene, first discovered in 2011, is a two-dimensional ceramic material. Following graphene, the dream material, MXene is gaining attention as a next-generation material with higher electrical conductivity and hydrophilicity, making it suitable for solution processing.

Byun Jaejong, CEO of Nanoplexus, said, "Demand for MXene is increasing not only in laboratories but also in various industries such as defense, batteries, and biomedical. We aim to establish Asia as a hub and expect applications in advanced industries such as batteries, displays, electrodes, and sensors."

On this day, Pohang City actively promoted the Pohang High-Tech Research and Development Special Zone, which has been selected as an excellent grade special zone for three consecutive years (2021-2023 excellent, 2022 best), to stakeholders in the nano and materials technology sector through visits to the National Graphene Institute and Nanoplexus.

The city also introduced Pohang as the 'startup mecca for research institutes,' highlighting its excellent research facilities and scientific infrastructure, and continued discussions on knowledge sharing and trends in the nano and materials technology sector.

National Graphene Institute

In 2019, Pohang City designated the Pohang Technopark and Pohang Convergence Technology Industrial Complex as a high-tech special zone and has been implementing projects to support companies throughout their entire lifecycle. The city has achieved 65 technology transfers, established 8 research institutes and advanced technology companies, facilitated 15 new startups, generated annual sales of 17.9 billion KRW, and created 248 jobs.

Seo Hyunjun, Head of the Battery Advanced Industry Division, stated, "Through strengthening overseas networks, we will promote the region's excellent technological capabilities and scientific infrastructure to scientists and researchers in Europe. As nano and materials technologies can be applied in various fields, we will vitalize the regional economy by exchanging talent and technology with outstanding overseas research institutions and discovering future growth opportunities for Pohang."

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