Chonnam National University Selected for the "AI Advanced Young Researchers Support Project"

Securing 11.55 Billion Won in Research Funding
Research to Be Conducted Over Six Years

Chonnam National University’s Department of Artificial Intelligence is expanding the growth foundation for emerging researchers who will lead next-generation AI research based on large-scale national research projects, and is building a new research ecosystem to spread research outcomes to the regional industrial field.

The Department of Artificial Intelligence at Chonnam National University is expanding the growth foundation for emerging researchers who will lead next-generation AI research based on large-scale national research projects, and is embarking on building a new research ecosystem to spread research achievements to local industrial sites. Provided by Chonnam National University

According to Chonnam National University on September 17, the Department of Artificial Intelligence has been finally selected for the “2026 AI Advanced Young Researchers Support Project” conducted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation.

With this selection, Chonnam National University has secured research funding totaling 11.55 billion won and will carry out research over the next six years.

The significance of this project lies not only in securing large-scale research funding but also in establishing a long-term research foundation that allows promising young professors to lead their own specialized research fields and grow as independent researchers.

Led by Hyungjung Yang, a professor and project manager at the Department of Artificial Intelligence, Chonnam National University plans to establish a research system where young professors lead each research area, form collaborative clusters, and connect joint supervision with industrial field verification.

The goal is to create a research environment where next-generation AI research leaders can develop, through a collaborative structure that enables individual researchers to develop independent research capabilities while connecting each other's research outcomes. Based on this, the Department of Artificial Intelligence at Chonnam National University is expected to strengthen its role as a research hub for the continual growth of next-generation AI talent.

The research team will develop key technology called “Sense-Adapt-Security AI (SAS-AI),” which integrates sense, adapt, and security functions, to address challenges such as harsh industrial environments, limited resources, and security threats occurring in industrial settings.

The project is significant because it moves beyond developing individual algorithms to secure AI technology that can be operated and validated in real industrial environments. In particular, it will connect research to major industrial sites in Gwangju and Jeonnam.

In the mobility field, the project will collaborate with Korea Alps; in the manufacturing and battery fields, with Sebang Battery; and in the energy field, with KEPCO KDN, to apply and validate super-efficient collaborative AI and security technologies in actual industrial workplaces.

Based on these field demonstrations, the project aims to link the university’s AI research outcomes to solving on-site problems for local companies and advancing their technologies, while also building an industry-academia research foundation where demands from industrial sites are fed back into new research topics.

Through these efforts, the project will promote the creation of an “integrated Physical AI research ecosystem for the Gwangju-Jeonnam region,” where researcher training, core AI technology development, industrial field demonstration, and domestic and international joint research are organically connected.

As AI technology is increasingly expanding from digital spaces to real physical environments such as robots, sensors, manufacturing facilities, and energy systems, this research is also noteworthy for establishing a foundation for Physical AI technology that can be utilized in local industrial settings.

A representative from the Department of Artificial Intelligence at Chonnam National University said, “Through six years of research, we aim to lay the foundation for young researchers to become global research leaders,” adding, “We plan to build a virtuous cycle research ecosystem where the university’s AI research outcomes lead to innovation for local companies and industrial sites.”

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