KRICT President Shin Seokmin: "Strengthen Results and Establish AI Unit Amid PBS Abolition"

"Government support is urgently needed to prevent top talent from leaving"

Shin Seokmin, president of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, presents an update on AI research at a meeting with reporters from the Ministry of Science and ICT. Photo provided by KRICT.

Shin Seokmin, president of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), said, "In response to the changing environment following the abolition of the Project-Based System (PBS), we will strengthen a system that links foundational and platform technologies from basic research to the demonstration and outcomes of strategic research, and ultimately to industrial sites."

At a press briefing with reporters at a restaurant near Gwanghwamun in Seoul on November 3, President Shin said, "We will actively pursue innovation in the research system centered on national strategic technologies and the establishment of an intelligent research system powered by artificial intelligence (AI)." Shin, a professor in Seoul National University's Department of Chemistry who took office in May, referred to the institute's future vision, announced recently to mark its 50th anniversary: "When the world cannot find the answers, we answer with chemistry." He stressed that he would secure the chemical technologies the country needs and build an institute where researchers can focus on producing results.

First, as a key hub for national strategic technologies, the institute will expand large-scale collaborative research that brings together the capabilities of industry, academia, and research institutions, while continuing public research and development to address national and social challenges such as the climate crisis and infectious diseases. Its major research fields include carbon neutrality, next-generation energy, advanced biotechnology, responding to global environmental regulations, and AI for chemical technology.

▲In carbon neutrality, the institute will develop electrification-based carbon capture and utilization (CCU), hydrogen, and waste-resource recycling technologies. ▲In next-generation energy, it will develop key technologies such as fluorinated materials, next-generation secondary battery materials, and perovskite solar cells. It will also develop innovative drugs and treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacteria in advanced biotechnology, eco-friendly precision and biochemical technologies to address environmental regulations, and strengthen links between research and industry through analysis, evaluation, and data support in AI for chemical technology.

President Shin said, "AI is a core foundation that is changing research methods and institutional operations," adding, "We plan to build autonomous laboratories and organize research data into assets that AI can use." For example, KRICT operates 'KRICT AI-Exp,' which predicts the drug properties and toxicity of drug candidates, as well as an automated solar-cell laboratory equipped with six-axis robotic arms. By precisely controlling micro-process variables, the institute has improved reproducibility and data quality, and plans to advance the system into digital-twin-based autonomous experimentation.

KRICT plans to establish an AI organization reporting directly to the president to further increase the use of AI across the institute. President Shin stressed, "The AI organization will build the foundations and provide training to help staff use AI more effectively," adding, "We will bring in AI experts and support staff in developing their individual AI capabilities into an organizational strength."

KRICT is currently facing the problem of losing talented researchers. Over the past 10 years, salary increases have amounted to just 17%. As talented researchers leave for academia and companies offering better terms, there are growing calls within the institute for urgent improvements to researchers' compensation. President Shin said, "Attracting talented people is essential, and government support is needed to achieve this." He added, "I will work to create an environment where researchers can take on challenges and devote themselves to their work autonomously, and to build an organizational culture that makes them proud to be researchers."

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