Solving Scientific Challenges with AI... GIST Begins Building National Research Infrastructure

75 Billion Won to Be Invested

Building a Shared AI Platform for Universities

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) will lead the establishment of a national artificial intelligence (AI) research infrastructure to be jointly utilized by universities and research institutes. The aim is to set up a national shared platform to support science and technology research, including AI-driven new drug development, new materials discovery, and semiconductor design.

On July 16, GIST announced that it has been selected for the central hub infrastructure development project in the ‘AI-based University Science and Technology Innovation Project’ by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea. As a result, GIST will receive a total of 75 billion won in funding over 8 years from 2026 to 2034 to build and operate a shared AI research infrastructure for universities.

Conceptual diagram of the national AI research infrastructure being established for AI-driven science and technology research innovation (AI4S&T). Provided by GIST. Conceptual diagram of the national AI research infrastructure being established for AI-driven science and technology research innovation (AI4S&T). Provided by GIST.

This project aims to establish a national research foundation to support AI-driven science and technology research innovation (AI4S&T) in connection with the government’s K-Moonshot Project. Currently, in Korea, AI computing resources and research data are dispersed across different organizations, and there is a lack of shared infrastructure for researchers to use collaboratively.

GIST plans to build a shared infrastructure that combines high-performance computing (HPC) and AI, and will operate an integrated research platform called ‘K-ImagineRI’. Through this platform, researchers will be able to allocate computing resources, share research data and AI models, and conduct joint research.

Kim Jongwon, Dean of GIST AI College (Director of the Supercomputing Center). Provided by GIST

In addition, GIST will provide an integrated environment featuring ultra-high-performance GPU-based AI research infrastructure, data and AI model sharing, and support for research workflows—offering end-to-end support for the entirety of the research and development process, from research planning and data analysis to AI model development and utilization.

Kim Jongwon, Dean of GIST AI College (Director of the Supercomputing Center), stated, “By establishing a researcher-centered shared AI infrastructure, we will contribute to creating an innovative ecosystem for science and technology research in Korea.”

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