Pusan National University Selected for Ministry of Education's "Glocal Lab Project"... 13.5 Billion Won Support Over 9 Years

CELLBACK Glocal Lab Selected for National Project
Emerging as a Core Hub for Full-Cycle Upcycling of Used Batteries
Driving Regional Industry Collaboration and Global Talent Development

Pusan National University (President Choi Jaewon) has been selected as a final recipient for the "2025 Glocal Lab Project" supported by the Ministry of Education.

This large-scale national project aims to foster university-affiliated research institutes as regional hubs for basic research and industrial collaboration, with only 14 universities nationwide making the list.

Pusan National University’s Energy Convergence Technology Research Institute has been chosen for its project titled "Circular Engineering for Low-impact & Lifecycle Battery Applications & Convergence Keyhub (CELLBACK)."

The research will receive a total budget of 13.5 billion won over nine years, positioning the institute as a core hub for upcycling used batteries and developing talent in this field.

The CELLBACK Glocal Lab will establish an ecosystem to demonstrate full-cycle technologies for used batteries, including disassembly, diagnostics, reassembly, safety analysis, and environmental assessment. It will also operate demand-driven industry-academia R&D and creative convergence talent development programs in connection with local industries.

Additionally, the institute will pursue international joint research with organizations such as the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, the University of Glasgow in the UK, Purdue University and Georgia Tech in the US, and the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University in Japan to strengthen global cooperation. Through these efforts, the institute aims to establish a trinity structure encompassing regional industry collaboration, specialized talent development, and the creation of basic research outcomes.

In the used battery recycling market, which is linked to the electric vehicle, energy storage system (ESS), and mobility dismantling industries in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regions, the institute is expected to serve as a regulatory response platform by conducting technology verification, standardization, safety certification, and environmental impact analysis.

Kim Suhyeong, Director of the Energy Convergence Technology Research Institute at Pusan National University (Professor of Nano Energy Engineering), stated, "Through this Glocal Lab Project, our institute will establish itself as a regionally based research center with global leadership in the circular economy for used batteries. We aim to build a demonstration ecosystem integrating industry, academia, research, and government, and to grow as a hub for global talent development and technology commercialization."

Glocal Lab Schematic Diagram.

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