Busan National University Opens 'APEC APRU Marine Climate Tech Center'

Ministry of Education Selected for ‘APEC APRU Academic Exchange Project’... Leading Marine Climate Crisis Analysis and Early Warning

Pusan National University (President Choi Jae-won) held the opening ceremony of the APEC APRU Marine Climate Tech Center (Director Ko Jong-su, Professor of Mechanical Engineering), which will lead marine climate tech research in the Pacific Rim region, on the 17th at the university’s Mechanical Engineering Building, and announced on the 21st that it has officially begun operations.

Earlier, in August, Pusan National University was selected for the APEC APRU academic exchange project supported by the Ministry of Education under the project title "Climate Crisis Era, Sustainable Pacific Rim Marine Climate Tech Initiative," and has now established the APEC APRU Marine Climate Tech Center to lead this project.

APRU stands for the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, a consortium of 61 research-intensive universities representing and leading 19 APEC member countries. In South Korea, six universities including Pusan National University, KAIST, POSTECH, Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University are members.

On the day before the opening ceremony, August 16th, the 1st Marine Climate Tech Academic-Industry Symposium commemorating the opening of the APEC APRU Marine Climate Tech Center was held at the Westin Chosun Busan. At the symposium, four marine climate tech experts from national research institutes and four researchers from Pusan National University participated as speakers, presenting on marine climate crises and response measures, followed by in-depth discussions.

Going forward, the APEC APRU Marine Climate Tech Center plans to lead the establishment of a marine climate tech research division within the APRU research subcommittees. It aims to secure South Korea’s leadership and dominance in the marine climate tech field by serving as a hub for training specialized personnel, developing new technologies, and industrialization.

Busan hosts over ten marine-specialized research institutions such as APCC (Asia-Pacific Climate Center), KIOST (Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology), and KMI (Korea Maritime Institute). With Pusan National University, which houses the IBS Climate Physics Research Group, Department of Oceanography, and Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, as well as specialized marine personnel training institutions like the National Korea Maritime and Ocean University and Pukyong National University, the city has an optimal foundation for nurturing marine climate tech talent and technology development.

Additionally, Busan is a densely populated metropolitan area expected to suffer the greatest damage from marine climate crises in South Korea. The APEC APRU Marine Climate Tech Center plans to contribute to realizing the future new industry of the blue economy through marine climate crisis analysis, early warning, and the development and industrialization of crisis response technologies.

Pusan National University is opening the APEC APRU Marine Climate Tech Center. Photo by Pusan National University

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