The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Europe, located in Saarbrücken in southwestern Germany, marked its 30th year. Established in 1996 for environmental engineering research and Korea–European Union (EU) technology exchange, the institute has expanded its local research base and network, growing into a hub that supports Korean researchers and corporations in advancing research and development (R&D) in Europe.
Discussions on establishing KIST Europe began in March 1995, when Ministers from Korea and Germany agreed to set up a Korea research center in Germany during President Kim Young-sam's tour of Europe. Launched in February the following year, KIST Europe became the first overseas research cooperation base established by domestic Government-funded research institute (government-funded research institutes).
At the time of the institute's launch, there was no independent research building. Researchers and administrative staff settled into rented offices on the Saarland University campus and had to set up research space, equipment, and administrative systems from scratch.
Jeong-ok Arnhold, who joined in Jan. 1997 and worked as an institute administrator for about 29 years until Dec. 2025, said at KIST Europe's 30th anniversary ceremony held on the 17th (local time), "When I joined, there were only three people in total: the institute director dispatched from Korea, a Korean staff member, and a German staff member," adding, "We used offices borrowed from the university and moved to our current location only after the first research building was completed in 2000."
The process of KIST Europe establishing itself as a local research institution was not entirely smooth. Arnhold said, "There was a time when it was difficult to be fully recognized either as a Korean institute or a European institute," recalling, "A major early challenge was being excluded from project eligibility even though the researchers had ideas and capabilities."
The poor conditions in the early days gradually improved as research facilities were added one by one. After the first research building opened in 2000, the second research building (the Korea–EU Cooperation Center), which supports the European expansion and technology cooperation of domestic government-funded institutes and corporations, was established in 2010. In 2021, a guesthouse for visiting researchers also opened. The institute now operates facilities with a total floor area of 9,144 square meters, including research and cooperation buildings and a technical center.
Major research institutions such as the Fraunhofer, Max Planck, Helmholtz, and Leibniz networks are clustered on Saarland University's Saarbrücken campus, where the institute is located. As facilities and the local network expanded together, the research scope, which initially focused on environmental engineering, broadened to advanced bioscience and energy–environment and artificial intelligence (AI) convergence, and the institution's function also expanded from in-house research to joint research planning, connecting European partners, and project operation support.
For Arnhold, the past 30 years of the institute are remembered through the people who worked together. Arnhold said, "I remember the names of all 676 employees who worked at the institute until I retired," adding, "As I organized the list, I was moved as the time spent with so many people came to mind." On this day, Arnhold received a commendation from the Ministry of Science and ICT Minister for contributions to expanding Korea–Europe science and technology cooperation.
Recently, supporting participation in the EU's research and innovation program Horizon Europe has become a core task for KIST Europe. After Korea joined last year as an associate country in Horizon Europe, KIST became the first among domestic research institutions to win related projects. Last year, it submitted 14 proposals and carried out or joined four projects.
Through THE Bridge Center and an online help desk, the institute supports joint research planning by domestic research institutions and the discovery of European partners. With the InSaar platform, it also assists corporations in establishing German subsidiaries and settling locally.
Going forward, KIST Europe plans to strengthen its functions with a focus on Korea–EU joint research, the European expansion of domestic corporations, technology commercialization, and AI-based research support. It aims to run more than 10 Horizon Europe projects annually on average and expand the scope of cooperation with local European institutions.
Arnhold said she hopes research outcomes will be even more visible in KIST Europe's next 30 years. Arnhold said, "Like other research institutions in Saarbrücken, I hope KIST Europe will produce more research results that can show what it has achieved," adding, "I also hope it will continue its role of connecting researchers and corporations seeking to expand from Korea to Europe."