KIST Holds Carbon Neutrality Strategy Forum

On March 7th, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST; President: Seok-Jin Yoon) hosted the Korea Carbon Neutrality Strategy Forum with representatives from Seoul National University (SNU; President: Hong-Lim Ryu) at its headquarters in Seoul. The event featured discussions on cooperation measures between industry, universities, and research institutes with relation to carbon neutrality.

Carbon neutrality is emerging as a form of global economic order intended to cope with the increasingly serious climate crisis. Countries such as the United States and EU are already expanding their green investments to gain an early foothold in new eco-friendly markets. Against this backdrop, the Forum serves as a place where the nation's top universities and government-funded research institutes can bring together their research capabilities to quickly commercialize carbon-neutral fundamental technologies and discuss ways to achieve Korea's goal of becoming carbon-neutral.

The first presentation was by Mun-Gu Park, Executive Director of Samjong KPMG, who spoke on the topic of policies for carbon-neutral cooperation between industry, universities, and research institutes. Next, Byoung-Koun Min, Director of KIST's Clean Energy Research Division, spoke about his Division’s current project to establish a demonstration center for carbon-neutral fundamental technologies. After that, Ki-Tae Nam, Materials Science and Engineering Professor at Seoul National University, and Ung Lee, a Principal Researcher at KIST’s Clean Energy Research Center, gave an introduction on carbon-neutral fundamental technologies. The event concluded with a discussion session, which involved more than 30 experts from industries, universities, research institutes, and the government, during which the importance of collaboration between universities and government-funded research institutes on commercializing carbon-neutral fundamental technologies was once again emphasized.

Starting with this forum, KIST plans to establish a new industry/university/research institute collaborative model in cooperation with academia and industry players through the establishment of the Greentech Lab-to-Industry Center together with Seoul National University and the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST; President: Soo-Hee Nam).

The President of KIST, Dr. Yoon, expressed his hope that the forum would serve as an opportunity for Korea to take the lead in the fierce competition for hegemony in carbon-neutral technologies.

Sang-Hyeop Kim, Co-Chair of the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth, commented, "In order to realize carbon neutrality, technological innovation and the development of fundamental technologies are both very important. We hope that the Carbon Neutrality Strategy Forum will continue to be held in the future to help us prepare for carbon neutrality in Korea by 2050."

"It is important for companies to use carbon-neutral technologies outside of the lab," said Chang-Yoon Lee, Head of the Office of R&D Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT. "The 'Greentech Lab-to-Industry Center' that was discussed today is an innovative model that can directly connect research outcomes to commercialization for carbon-neutral fundamental technologies."