The Ministry of Science and ICT held the 3rd general meeting of the 'Korea Synthetic Biology Development Council,' a public-private consultative body in the field of synthetic biology, on the 23rd, discussing key policies for 2024 and the status of domestic and international exchanges, as well as development directions for 2025. During this meeting, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced the progress and future directions of key policies such as synthetic biology strategies, research and development support, and international cooperation. Hwang Pan-sik, Director of the Ministry of Science and ICT's Research and Development Policy Division, noted, 'In the future, we will expand communication with experts, including the Development Council, in the process of establishing government policies.'
Kim In-cheol, the lead researcher at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), announced on the 23rd that the company 'WaterTrinez' he founded received the grand prize at the 2024 Challenge K-Startup! Royal Championship, co-hosted by 10 government ministries, including the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. WaterTrinez is a corporation that develops innovative water treatment material technologies aimed at achieving a sustainable environment. Kim In-cheol stated, 'Startup is not just an extension of research, but an important point where research meets industry,' emphasizing that 'we are striving to ensure that WaterTrinez's technology can make a tangible contribution to solving environmental issues.'
The Pohang Accelerator Laboratory held the '2024 Accelerator Utilization Support Project Research Results Presentation' at the 2nd floor seminar room of the 4th-generation X-ray experimental hall from the 19th to the 20th. This event was arranged for 31 master's and doctoral students from 20 universities selected for this year’s Accelerator Utilization Support Project to share the results they accumulated through accelerator utilization research over the year and to exchange experimental experiences gained in various research fields. The Pohang Accelerator Laboratory plans to start a new Accelerator Utilization Support Project in 2025, starting with the announcement of project recruitment in January.
The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) held its 2024 Awards Ceremony and Excellent Performance Presentation at the Research Institute auditorium at 10 a.m. on the 23rd. This event was organized to encourage the efforts and achievements of 37 employees who contributed to the development of the Research Institute in various fields over the past year, and to reflect on KIGAM's major research achievements emphasized over the year and discuss the future research vision and goals of the institute. Lee Pyeong-gu, KIGAM's President, stated, 'KIGAM will continue to achieve sustainable development based on various research achievements and will pursue innovative research that can contribute to the nation and its people.'
The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) announced that it held an appointment ceremony for special ambassadors of science and technology to establish a practical cooperative relationship between GIST and local governments in Jeonnam Province, contributing to regional development. The ceremony, which took place on the 19th, was attended by President Lim Ki-cheol, Vice President Jung Yong-hwa, and over 10 GIST instructors appointed as special science and technology ambassadors for local governments in Jeonnam Province, conducted at the administrative building president's office. President Lim expressed, 'GIST plans to further promote memorandums of understanding (MOU) with the 12 local governments in Jeonnam Province to share and disseminate GIST's capabilities.'
GIST announced on the 23rd that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI) to establish a cooperative system that includes joint research planning, research, technology development, and personnel exchanges in advanced fields. The signing ceremony took place in the GIST administrative building's conference room with over 10 key officials in attendance. Through this agreement, the two institutions will conduct joint research projects, personnel exchanges, and discover convergence technologies in six major future industry sectors, including next-generation semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), content, energy, mobility, and display.
The National Research Foundation of Korea, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University Dental Hospital, Chungnam National University Hospital, and Chungbuk National University Hospital announced on the 23rd that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the main building of the National Research Foundation in Daejeon to advance audit operations and improve audit quality. This partnership commenced based on mutual understanding to promote national research and development projects and public health initiatives through the utilization of public finances, contributing to academic and scientific technology promotion as well as the enhancement of national health. Additionally, it embodies the commitment of the internal audit body to advance audit operations and elevate work quality through the sharing of audit systems and techniques, fulfilling its responsibility to the nation.