Jeonnam National University Selected as Final Participant in Ministry of Education's "Glocal Lab" Project

A Total of 13.5 Billion Won in Government Funding Over the Next 9 Years
Emerging as a Leading Research Institute in Defense and AI Convergence

Jeonnam National University campus view.

Jeonnam National University has been selected as a final participant in the Ministry of Education's "Glocal Lab" project. With this selection, the university will receive 1.5 billion won in government funding annually for the next nine years, totaling 13.5 billion won. Jeonnam National University plans to establish itself as a leading research institute in the field of defense and AI convergence, centered around the "Intelligent Defense Unmanned Systems Research Institute."

According to Jeonnam National University on September 1, the Glocal Lab project is a large-scale national initiative that supports regional universities in leveraging their research capabilities to enhance global competitiveness by linking them to regional and national strategic industries. In this call for proposals, Jeonnam National University received high marks for presenting a research strategy that connects areas simultaneously needed by both the region and the nation, including unmanned defense systems, AI semiconductors, and next-generation intelligent systems.

The newly established Intelligent Defense Unmanned Systems Research Institute will systematically conduct research based on five core research groups: intelligent RF systems, on-device AI semiconductors, low probability of intercept communications security, agentic AI, and physical AI reliability. Through these efforts, the institute will play a pivotal role in leading both the localization and globalization of key defense technologies, such as hub-type unmanned defense systems and mobile unmanned operation systems.

This project is significant not only for its focus on defense technology research, but also for its emphasis on linking regional industrial development with national strategy. It is expected that the impact of research outcomes will be maximized by aligning with Gwangju City and Jeonnam National University's joint "AI+X and AI Semiconductor" advancement strategy, as well as the space and defense industries that Jeollanam-do Province and Goheung County are actively fostering.

Lee Myungjin, director of the research institute and professor in the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering at Jeonnam National University, stated, "Being selected for the Glocal Lab project provides a foundation for Jeonnam National University to grow beyond a regional university into a global research hub. Over the next 10 years, we will align with the 'Creating 10 Seoul National Universities Policy' and establish ourselves as a regional hub research institute for Gwangju and Jeonnam."

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