The Korea Electric Research Institute (KERI) held a New Year ceremony with its employees on the 2nd, beginning operations for the Year of the Serpent.
Kim Nam-kyun, the head of KERI, noted in his New Year's address that 'even in the tumultuous last year filled with difficulties, KERI's achievements were significantly recognized,' and mentioned outcomes such as producing 2 out of 15 outstanding results among grants, winning the Minister of Industry's award on World Standards Day, and obtaining the 'leisure-friendly certification' from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Kim stated, 'Historically, difficulties have repeated every year, but KERI has contributed to Korea having the world's highest level of electric quality index through the commercialization of technologies such as the Korean-Style Battery Automation System (KODAS) and the Next Generation Power System Operating System (EMS).' He also urged staff that 'the growth technologies currently under research, such as secondary batteries, power semiconductors, carbon nanomaterials, and medical devices, will gain significant recognition in the future when the era of electrification fully arrives.'
He then set the goal of making this year a foundational year for developing 'world-class' technologies that can attract top-tier corporations, stating, 'I will continuously implement measures such as organizing related organizations and systems, strengthening personnel, and enhancing technology commercialization strategies to create monumental results that many people can think of immediately when they hear KERI.'
During the ceremony, an awards presentation took place for the teams that achieved the best results over the past year. The 2023 KERI Person of the Year award went to Byun Gil-sung, the leading researcher at the Energy Platform Research Center, who developed the 'optimal operation technology for renewable energy integrated power system (EMS)' and successfully transferred technology worth 1.3 billion won to corporations.