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Professor Kuk-Jin Yoon’s Research Team at the Department of Mechanical Engineering Achieves Landmark Success with 10 Papers Accepted at CVPR 2026
<Professor Kuk-Jin Joon from Department of Mechanical Engineering>
Professor Kuk-Jin Yoon’s research team from our university’s Department of Mechanical Engineering has once again demonstrated its overwhelming academic prowess by having a total of 10 papers accepted as lead authors at the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition 2026 (CVPR 2026).
CVPR is the most influential international conference in the fields of artificial intelligence and visual intelligence. Since its inception in 1983, it has selected outstanding research through a rigorous peer-review process every year. For CVPR 2026, a total of 16,092 papers were submitted worldwide, with 4,090 accepted, resulting in a competitive acceptance rate of approximately 25.42%. Achieving 10 accepted papers as lead or corresponding authors from a single laboratory is regarded as an exceptionally rare and world-class feat.
Professor Kuk-Jin Yoon’s team conducts extensive research with the ultimate goal of achieving human-level visual intelligence. The papers accepted this year cover cutting-edge topics in computer vision, including:
Event camera-based technologies
Perception technologies for autonomous driving
AI optimization and adaptation techniques
This achievement follows the team's remarkable success at ICCV 2025 last year, where they published 12 papers as lead/corresponding authors. The results at CVPR 2026 further solidify the laboratory's position as a global hub for pioneering computer vision research. The research team plans to continue contributing to the advancement of future AI technologies by tackling challenging research that transcends the limitations of existing methods.
Meanwhile, CVPR 2026 is scheduled to be held in Denver, Colorado, USA, from June 3 to June 7.
<CVPR 2026 (Denver, USA)>
2026.03.06 View 255 -
Earth’s Safety Limit Already Exceeded… Carbon Emissions More Than Double the Planetary Boundary
<(From Left) Professor Haewon McJeon, Dr. Paul Wolfram>
Earth is not infinite. Pollution beyond certain levels threatens the climate and ecosystems. To prevent this, scientists have proposed “Planetary Boundaries,” defining the safe operating limits of the Earth system. A KAIST research team recalculated climate change and nitrogen pollution using the same standard and found that current carbon emissions already exceed the planet’s sustainable limit by more than double.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 6th of March that Professor Haewon McJeon of the Graduate School of Green Growth and Sustainability, in collaboration with Dr. Paul Wolfram’s team at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) of the U.S. Department of Energy, recalculated the carbon dioxide emission boundary using an annual emissions (flow) framework rather than the traditional cumulative carbon stock framework.
Until now, climate change has been evaluated based on how much CO₂ accumulates in the atmosphere (stock). In contrast, nitrogen and phosphorus pollution have been assessed based on how much is emitted each year (flow). Because these problems were measured using different metrics, it was difficult to fairly compare their relative severity. The research team therefore recalculated carbon emissions using the same annual emissions framework used for nitrogen pollution.
Based on the condition of limiting the rise in global average temperature to within 1.5°C, the analysis showed that the Earth’s safe limit for annual CO₂ emissions is approximately 4–17 gigatons (Gt CO₂ per year). However, humanity’s current annual emissions amount to about 37 gigatons (Gt CO₂ per year). This level exceeds the Earth’s safe operating space by more than twofold.
Professor Haewon McJeon stated, “When carbon emissions are compared using the same framework as nitrogen pollution, the severity of climate change becomes much clearer,” adding, “This study helps place different environmental problems on the same analytical basis, which can contribute to setting clearer policy priorities.”
<Comparative Measurement of Planetary Boundaries and Proposal for Flow-Based Carbon Emission Limits>
<Scope and Sensitivity of Flow-Based Carbon Emission Limits>
He further emphasized, “The need for integrated strategies that simultaneously consider carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus pollution is growing,” adding that global efforts toward decarbonization must accelerate further.
The study was jointly led by Professor Haewon McJeon and Dr. Paul Wolfram as co-corresponding authors, with Hassan Niazi, Page Kyle, and other researchers from PNNL participating as collaborators. The research results were published on February 16 in the international journal Nature Sustainability.
※ Paper title: “Ensuring consistency between biogeochemical planetary boundaries”
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-026-01770-6
This research was supported by the project “Development of an AI-Based Next-Generation Integrated Assessment Model for Climate–Human Interactions” funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
In a Science commentary published on March 5 titled “Thirty-six solutions to stabilize Earth’s climate,” Professor McJeon revisited the progress of climate technologies over the past 20 years. He pointed out that although humanity has possessed many of the necessary technologies, they have not been implemented quickly enough, allowing the climate crisis to intensify. He also emphasized that the pace of decarbonization must accelerate to achieve carbon neutrality.
※ Commentary: “Thirty-six solutions to stabilize Earth’s climate”
Link: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aed5212
2026.03.06 View 197 -
KAIST Develops Brain-Like AI… Thinks One More Time Even When Predictions Are Wrong
<(From left) Professor Sang Wan Lee, Myoung Hoon Ha, and Dr. Yoondo Sung>
Artificial intelligence now plays Go, paints pictures, and even converses like a human. However, there remains a decisive difference: AI requires far more electricity than the human brain to operate. Scientists have long asked the question, “How can the brain learn so intelligently using so little energy?” KAIST researchers have moved one step closer to the answer.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 29th that a research team led by Distinguished Professor Sang Wan Lee of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences has developed a new technology that applies the learning principles of the human brain to deep learning, enabling stable training even in deep artificial intelligence models.
Our brain does not passively receive the world. Instead of merely perceiving what is happening in the present, it first predicts what will happen next and, when reality differs from that prediction, adjusts itself to reduce the difference (i.e., prediction error). This is similar to anticipating an opponent’s next move in Go and changing strategy if the prediction turns out to be wrong. This mode of information processing is known as “Predictive Coding.”
< Predictive Coding (PC) Module >
Scientists have attempted to apply this principle to AI, but encountered difficulties. As neural networks become deeper, errors tend to concentrate in specific layers or vanish altogether, repeatedly leading to performance degradation.
The research team mathematically identified the cause of this problem and proposed a new solution. The key idea is simple: instead of predicting only the final outcome, the AI is designed to also predict how its prediction errors will change in the future. The team refers to this as “Meta Prediction.” In simple terms, it is an AI that “thinks once more about its mistakes.” When this method was applied, learning proceeded stably in deep neural networks without halting.
<Analysis of Instability in Predictive Coding Model Errors>
The experimental results were also impressive. In 29 out of 30 experiments, the proposed method achieved higher accuracy than the current standard AI training method, backpropagation. Backpropagation is the representative learning method in which AI “goes backward by the amount of error and corrects it.”
Conventional AI training methods (backpropagation) require tightly interconnected layers, meaning the entire network must be computed and updated simultaneously. In contrast, this new approach demonstrates that, like the brain, large AI models can be effectively trained even when learning occurs in a distributed and partially independent manner.
<Performance Comparison of Predictive Coding Models>
This technology is expected to expand into various fields where power efficiency is critical, including neuromorphic computing, robot AI that must adapt to changing environments, and edge AI operating within devices.
Distinguished Professor Sang Wan Lee stated, “The key to this research is not simply imitating the structure of the brain, but enabling AI to follow the brain’s learning principles themselves,” adding, “We have opened the possibility of artificial intelligence that learns efficiently like the brain.”
This study was conducted with Dr. Myoung Hoon Ha as the first author and Professor Sang Wan Lee as the corresponding author. The paper was accepted to the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR 2026) and was published online on January 26.
※ Paper title: “Stable and Scalable Deep Predictive Coding Networks with Meta Prediction Errors”Original paper: https://openreview.net/forum?id=kE5jJUHl9i¬eId=e6T5T9cYqO
This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) through the Digital Global Research Support Program (joint research with Microsoft Research), the Samsung Electronics SAIT NPRC Program, and the SW Star Lab Program.
2026.03.06 View 148 -
Simultaneous Decoding of Genetic Maps Inside Cells... A Game Changer for Understanding Complex Human Diseases
< (Clockwise from top left) Professor Inkyung Jung (KAIST), Dr. Dongchan Yang (KAIST), Dr. Kyukwang Kim (KAIST), Dr. Yueyuan Xu (Duke University), Dr. Xiaolin Wei (Duke University), Professor Yarui Diao (Duke University) >
The origin of many diseases begins at the cellular level and involves multiple molecular interactions. However, previous methods have struggled to accurately observe changes in individual cells. Analyzing average values across thousands of cells made it challenging to detect the early signals of disease.
Our university's research team has pioneered groundbreaking technology that decodes the genetic blueprint within a cell in 3D, akin to zooming in on Earth using Google Earth. This innovation is poised to transform research into complex diseases such as cancer, dementia, and Parkinson's disease.
KAIST announced on March 4th that Professor Inkyung Jung's research team from the Department of Biological Sciences, in collaboration with Professor Yarui Diao's team at Duke University, has developed scHiCAR (single-cell Hi-C with assay for transposase-accessible chromatin and RNA sequencing). This is the world’s first ultra-high throughput & precise molecular map decoding technology that simultaneously analyzes gene expression (transcriptome), the epigenome, and the 3D genome structure within a single cell.
The key to determining a cell's state lies in how its genes operate. Genes are not simply switches that turn on and off. The destiny of a cell is determined by which genes are actually active (transcriptome), why they are active (epigenome), and within what spatial structure they operate (3D genome structure). Existing technologies required obtaining this information from different cells separately and then matching them afterward, which could lead to the distortion or omission of subtle changes.
The research team introduced ‘Trimodal Multi-omics’ technology, an integrated precision analysis method that concurrently examines these three types of genetic information within a single cell. By incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) analysis, they significantly enhanced accuracy and reproducibility, culminating in a unified platform that reads internal cellular genetic information akin to a ‘single 3D map.’
<Ultra-precision Single-cell Molecular Map>
Notably, the team succeeded in lowering the analysis cost to approximately $0.04 (approx. 50 KRW) per cell. Using this, they constructed a high-resolution molecular map of 1.6 million cells in mouse brain tissue. This means it is now possible to precisely identify when, where, and within what structure disease genes are turned on or off at the cellular level.
The research team applied this technology to brain tissue and the muscle regeneration process, revealing distinct gene operation principles across 22 major cell types. Notably, they successfully tracked in real-time how the 3D structure of genes dynamically changes to influence cell fate during muscle stem cell regeneration. This advancement is expected to lay a crucial foundation for developing treatment strategies for aging and incurable diseases.
<Research Result Image (AI-generated)>
Professor Inkyung Jung remarked, ‘This research transcends mere observation of cells; it opens the door to precisely reading and controlling the genomic blueprints within them. It represents a significant turning point in elucidating the developmental mechanisms of complex diseases like Parkinson's and cancer, as well as identifying target points for patient-specific new drugs.’
The study was published on February 19th in the international academic journal Nature Biotechnology (IF=46.9).
Paper Title: Trimodal single-cell profiling of transcriptome, epigenome and 3D genome in complex tissues with scHiCAR
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03013-7
Meanwhile, this research was conducted with support from the Suh Kyungbae Foundation, the Samsung Science and Technology Foundation, and the Basic Research Program and Bio-Medical Technology Development Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea (Ministry of Science and ICT).
2026.03.06 View 143 -
Campus in Spring: KAIST Art Museum Hosts ‘Oblique Time’ Exhibition
< (Left: Stair-shaped work) Divided Horizon, (Right: Circular mirror work) In-between >
KAIST invites visitors to go beyond simply 'looking' at art, offering a space to experience ‘Oblique Time’ while strolling through the venue. ‘Oblique Time’ refers to a different texture of time—stepping away from the linear flow of daily life to a place where senses and contemplation slowly intersect.
KAIST announced that it will host ‘Oblique Time,’ a special installation art exhibition by graphic designer Na Kim, at the KAIST Art Museum on the main Daejeon campus starting on the 3rd.
The exhibition takes place on the newly opened rooftop of the museum. The three installed works awaken a new sense of space through the media of wind, light, gaze, and movement. Upon entering the rooftop, soaring columns greet visitors; as one walks slowly between them, the traces of the wind brushing past can be felt by the body.
Ascending and descending the stairs reveals entirely different scenes within the same space, while circular mirrors on the floor simultaneously reflect the sky, the clouds, and the viewer standing before them. Visitors shift from being mere observers to becoming part of the landscape within the artwork. The space is no longer a fixed structure but transforms into a fluid field of time.
All three works are experiential installations that rely on the participation and movement of the audience. Rather than a fixed viewpoint, the artist uses a "wavering gaze" to twist our conventional senses of space and time. It is an exhibition that leaves behind experience over explanation, and contemplation over definitive answers.
Na Kim is a graphic designer and visual artist who graduated from the Department of Industrial Design at KAIST and studied at Hongik University and ArtEZ University of the Arts in the Netherlands. Based in design, she has built a unique artistic world that crosses into the realm of fine arts. By extracting and reconstructing memories and contexts tied to objects, images, and text, she encourages viewers to reflect on themselves and conjure their own self-portraits. She has received the Korea Institute of Design Promotion’s ‘Next Generation Design Leader’ award, the Doosan Yonkang Art Award, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s ‘Today’s Young Artist Award.’ Currently represented by Kukje Gallery, she operates the project space ‘LOOM’ in Berlin, Germany.
"The creation of an art museum within the KAIST campus felt very meaningful to me," said Kim. "I am honored to participate in the first exhibition for this newly opened rooftop space. I hope this exhibition provides students with an opportunity to experience art and reflect on themselves."
Since its opening in December 2024, the KAIST Art Museum has operated three exhibition halls on the first and second floors. With the recent completion of interior work on the third floor, it has evolved into a full-scale museum with a total of seven galleries (five indoor, two outdoor). This exhibition, held in the rooftop area (Galleries 6 & 7) being revealed for the first time since the museum's opening, symbolizes the spatial expansion of the institution. This stage—extending from indoors to outdoors and from fixed galleries to the open sky—marks the starting point of a new experiment envisioned by the museum.
Hyeon-Jeong Suk, Director of the KAIST Art Museum (and Head of the Department of Industrial Design), stated, "I am delighted to introduce Na Kim, who is also a junior from our department, to KAIST. Her original artistic world, rooted in the language of design, will diversely expand the museum's exhibitions."
President Kwang Hyung Lee remarked, "I am proud that a KAIST graduate has grown into a world-class artist and returned to her alma mater. I look forward to this exhibition serving as a leap forward for both the KAIST Art Museum and the artist."
Starting with the museum construction fund and art donations from the late Chairman Moon-Soul Chung, KAIST has consistently received artworks from various social figures, artists, and bereaved families. Na Kim’s installation works will also belong to the KAIST Art Museum after the exhibition concludes, remaining as artistic assets for the campus.
The exhibition ‘Oblique Time’ opens at 3:00 PM on the 3rd and will be open to the public free of charge until August 28th. Viewing hours are weekdays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
< Vertical Texture (5m size)>
< Divided Horizon (8m size) >
< In-between (Circular diameters of 1.2m and 1.5m) >
2026.03.04 View 143 -
Designing the Heart of Hydrogen Cars with AI... Development of Next-Generation Super Catalyst
<(From left) KAIST Ph.D. Candidate HyunWoo Chang, Professor EunAe Cho. (Top, from left) Seoul National University Professor Won Bo Lee, Dr. Jae Hyun Ryu.>
In the era of climate crisis, hydrogen vehicles are emerging as an alternative for eco-friendly mobility. However, the fuel cell, known as the ‘heart of the hydrogen car,’ still faces limitations of high cost and short lifespan. The core cause is the platinum catalyst. While it is a decisive material for generating electricity, the reaction is slow, performance degrades over time, and manufacturing costs are high. Korean researchers have presented a clue to solving this difficult problem.
KAIST announced on February 26th that the research team led by Professor EunAe Cho of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, together with the team of Professor Won Bo Lee of the School of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Seoul National University, has developed a technology that predicts the ‘atomic arrangement’ tendency of catalysts using artificial intelligence (AI).
This technology is akin to calculating beforehand which combination is advantageous for completing a puzzle before putting it together. By having AI calculate the arrangement speed of metal atoms first, it has become possible to efficiently design catalysts with better performance. The core of this research is that ‘AI revealed the fact that zinc plays a decisive role in the platinum-cobalt atomic arrangement.’
<Schematic diagram of AI-based atomic alignment prediction>
Despite the high performance of existing platinum-cobalt (Pt-Co) alloy catalysts, very high-temperature heat treatment was required to create the ‘intermetallic (L1₀)’ structure, where atoms are regularly arranged. In this process, particles would clump together, or the structure would become unstable, posing limitations for actual fuel cell application.
To solve this problem, the research team introduced machine learning-based quantum chemistry simulations. Through AI, they precisely predicted how atoms move and arrange themselves inside the catalyst.
As a result, they discovered that zinc (Zn) acts as a mediating element that promotes atomic arrangement. The principle is that when zinc is introduced, atoms find their places more easily, forming a more sophisticated and stable structure. In other words, AI has found the ‘optimal path for atomic arrangement creation’ in advance.
< Synthesis process of Zinc-introduced Platinum-Cobalt catalyst>
The zinc-platinum-cobalt catalyst, synthesized based on AI predictions, secured both higher activity and superior long-term durability compared to commercial platinum catalysts. This is a case proving that the ‘virtual blueprint’ calculated by artificial intelligence can be implemented as a high-performance catalyst in an actual laboratory.
In particular, this technology is expected to contribute to extending catalyst lifespan and reducing manufacturing costs across core carbon-neutral industries, such as hydrogen passenger cars, hydrogen trucks requiring long-distance operation, hydrogen ships, and energy storage systems (ESS).
< Conceptual diagram of AI-based catalyst development (AI-generated image) >
Professor EunAe Cho stated, “This research is a case of utilizing machine learning to predict the atomic arrangement tendency of catalysts in advance and implementing this through actual synthesis,” and added, “AI-based material design will become a new paradigm for the development of next-generation fuel cell catalysts.”
Ph.D. Candidate HyunWoo Chang from KAIST’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Dr. Jae Hyun Ryu from Seoul National University’s School of Chemical and Biological Engineering participated as co-first authors in this research. The research results were published on January 15, 2026, in ‘Advanced Energy Materials,’ a world-renowned academic journal in the energy materials field. ※ Paper Title: Machine Learning-Guided Design of L1₀-PtCo Intermetallic Catalysts: Zn-Mediated Atomic Ordering, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202505211
This research was conducted with the support of the National Research Foundation of Korea’s Nano & Material Technology Development Program and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning’s Energy Innovation Research Center for Fuel Cell Technology.
2026.02.27 View 391 -
Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee, Senior Vice President for Research, to Lead Industry-Academic-Research Cooperation in Synthetic Biology
< Sang Yup Lee, Senior Vice President for Research at KAIST (Inaugural Chairman of the Korea Synthetic Biology Association) >
KAIST announced on February 27th that Sang Yup Lee, Distinguished Professor of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Senior Vice President for Research, has been appointed as the inaugural chairman of the Korea Synthetic Biology Association (KSBA). This appointment was officially ratified during the association's 5th regular general meeting held on the 23rd.
The KSBA is a specialized consultative body established to promote cooperation in policy, industry, and research within the field of synthetic biology. Based on a network spanning industry, academia, research institutes, and government, the association supports the creation of a synthetic biology ecosystem as a national strategic technology and strengthens industrial competitiveness. It has contributed to the expansion of the domestic synthetic biology foundation through multifaceted activities such as policy proposals, international cooperation, human resource development, and industrial vitalization.
Through this appointment of the inaugural chairman, the association has established a unified leadership system and is set to formalize the operational foundation in line with the enforcement of the "Synthetic Biology Promotion Act."
At the general meeting, the 2025 business performance report was presented, and agendas for the ratification of the next chairman and the appointment of executives were resolved. Officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT also attended, expressing expectations for the association’s political role and future direction.
During the meeting, the ratification of Chairman Sang Yup Lee, who was elected by the Board of Directors in accordance with the articles of incorporation, was finally approved. Chairman Sang Yup Lee is a world-leading researcher who has pioneered the fields of synthetic biology and biotechnology. As the Senior Vice President for Research at KAIST, Head of the Metabolic Engineering National Research Laboratory, and Director of both the BioProcess Engineering Research Center and the Center for Synthetic Biology, he has led research innovation and the expansion of global cooperation. With this ratification, the KSBA has officially launched an integrated leadership system encompassing the establishment of mid-to-long-term strategies, strengthening industry-research links, and expanding global networks.
< Group photo of the Korea Synthetic Biology Association General Meeting (Chairman Sang Yup Lee, 5th from the bottom left) >
Chairman Sang Yup Lee stated, "Synthetic biology is a key strategic technology that will determine national competitiveness. We will ensure close cooperation between industry, academia, research, and government so that the purpose of laws and systems can lead to practical innovation in research and industrial fields."
Furthermore, the Board of Directors approved the appointment of directors and external auditors to enhance the accountability and transparency of organizational management, including Steering Committee Secretary Lee Seung-koo (Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology), as well as Park Han-oh (Bioneer), Kim장성 (Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology), Kim Dong-myung (Chungnam National University), Oh Min-kyu (Korea University), Cho Byung-kwan (KAIST), Yoon Hye-sun (Hanyang University), and Lee Do-heon (KAIST).
At this general meeting, the major contents of the "Synthetic Biology Promotion Act," scheduled for enforcement on April 23, and the corresponding legislative notice of the enforcement decree were shared. Prior to the enforcement of the law, the Ministry of Science and ICT prepared an enforcement decree specifying delegated matters and has been conducting a legislative notice for 40 days starting February 23. The enforcement decree includes: ▲Clarification of procedures for establishing the Basic Plan for Synthetic Biology Promotion and annual implementation plans ▲Establishment of standards for designating and operating research hubs and biofoundries ▲Materialization of safety management systems and inspection procedures.
The KSBA plans to actively pursue implementation strategies for each division so that the legislative intent of the enforcement decree can be practically realized in industrial and research fields.
The Policy and System Division will strengthen its policy advisory function to ensure that field opinions are reflected in the process of establishing basic and annual implementation plans. It will also continue to present directions for synthetic biology development and social infrastructure construction strategies through the ‘KSBA Policy Insight 2026’ report.
The Convergence Division aims to advance research systems based on data, AI, and automation to simultaneously secure research reliability and efficiency. It will also support the strengthening of technology standardization and safety management capabilities through the publication of convergence technology trend reports and the operation of workshops.
The Technology and Industry Division plans to specify industry-research linkage models that meet the standards for designating and operating research infrastructure such as biofoundries. It will also expand corporate cooperation networks to ensure that the implementation of the system leads to technology commercialization and manufacturing innovation.
The Education and Network Division will prepare a competition (IDEA-B) to discover next-generation talent and strengthen safety and ethics education to increase the accountability and expertise of synthetic biology research. Additionally, it plans to expand international cooperation to ensure that domestic systems harmonize with global norms.
The KSBA plans to further enhance the stability of organizational operations through this general meeting and expand its role as a hub institution connecting policy, industry, and research. In particular, under the unified leadership centered on Chairman Sang Yup Lee, it intends to serve as a bridge for private-public cooperation so that the intent of the "Synthetic Biology Promotion Act" can be practically implemented in the field.
< KSBA Policy Insight 2026 Report of the Korea Synthetic Biology Association >
2026.02.27 View 310 -
KAIST Launches Deep-Tech Scale-up Valley, Unveils Execution Strategies for Physical AI
< Progress Report Meeting of the Deep-Tech Scale-up Valley Project >
KAIST announced on February 27th that it held the "Deep-Tech Scale-up Valley Project Progress Report Meeting" at its main campus in Daejeon on the 26th. During the meeting, the university unveiled its Physical AI strategies and execution structures, currently being developed with a focus on robotics.
The Deep-Tech Scale-up Valley Promotion Project is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Science and ICT, Daejeon Metropolitan City, and KAIST. KAIST has secured a total budget of 13.65 billion KRW for a period of three years and six months, starting from 2025. The project aims to commercialize KAIST's deep-tech capabilities in robotics to build a robust robot innovation ecosystem. A "Robot Alliance" has been formed, led by KAIST (headed by Professor Jung Kim) and including KAIST Holdings, Daejeon Techno Park, Daejeon Center for Creative Economy & Innovation, Angel Robotics, and Eurobotics.
The project seeks to foster a virtuous cycle ecosystem and nurture future "Unicorn" companies based on a three-pillar framework: Technology Commercialization, Deep-Tech R&D, and Commercialization Scale-up. In its first year (2025), the project achieved 230 billion KRW in technology transfers and investment attraction through Physical AI lectures, startup pitching sessions, and investment networking.
Physical AI refers to technology that combines robotics with artificial intelligence, allowing machines to make autonomous decisions and act in the real world. While it is gaining traction as a core field of next-generation industry—with increasing government R&D, corporate investment, and startup activity—critics have noted that successful business models applicable to actual industrial sites remain limited.
This report meeting is significant in that it redefined Physical AI not merely as a competition of AI technology, but as a matter of "industrial structure." It emphasized that commercialization is difficult unless R&D, industrial sites, and the investment ecosystem are organically linked.
Specifically, the report stated that for Physical AI to be applied to industrial sites, "meaningful data" generated from real-world operations is required, going beyond virtual environments. The strategy involves collaborating with skilled experts in manufacturing processes to accumulate data reflecting physical sensations and judgment, and establishing an execution system where robots can continuously cooperate with humans without obstructing their tasks.
Professor Kyoungchul Kong of the KAIST Department of Mechanical Engineering stated, "It is now crucial to clarify the mixed concepts of Physical AI and create a concrete platform that anyone can utilize." He added, "For AI learned in virtual environments to function properly with actual robots in the real world, we must not only improve the accuracy of virtual technologies but also ensure that physical variables in the real world are predictable and stably managed." In simpler terms, technology is needed to ensure that a robot's performance in a simulation translates seamlessly to the real world.
Professor Hyun Myung of the KAIST School of Electrical Engineering highlighted, "In the field of AI, research on Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINN), which incorporate physical laws into the learning process, is actively underway." He emphasized, "The completion of Physical AI is possible only when hardware researchers, who understand actual physical systems, and AI researchers, who implement these into learning structures, are organically integrated. We need AI that understands physical principles, going beyond simply learning massive amounts of data."
Based on this execution structure, KAIST plans to establish a clear Value Chain connecting researchers, industrial experts, and corporations. The strategy is to expand Physical AI from lab-scale demonstrations to technologies that solve real-world industrial problems.
Jung Kim, Head of the KAIST Department of Mechanical Engineering, stated, "We have moved past the era of competing on data volume; now is the time to contemplate how to execute AI in the physical world. Based on KAIST's specific preparations and execution strategies, we will support startups and companies to succeed in the commercialization of Physical AI."
Meanwhile, the Deep-Tech Scale-up Valley Project plans to step-by-step promote the establishment of a Physical AI platform, startup discovery and investment expansion, the creation of verification testbeds, and the expansion of cooperation networks with global robotics companies.
2026.02.27 View 354 -
Three Generations of ‘Giving DNA’ Meets ‘KAIST DNA’
KAIST announced on February 26th that it has received 5.06 billion KRW in development funds, embodying the noble spirit of sharing from a single family. This donation is particularly meaningful as it was completed across three generations: rooted in a grandmother’s legacy, the father decided on the donation, and the daughter put that intention into action.
The donor stated, “I hope the research achievements of KAIST’s young scientists shine brighter than the donor’s name,” and declined all appointment ceremonies or honorary events where their name would be revealed. In accordance with the donor’s wishes, all procedures were conducted simply, and their identity will remain private.
The donor, a Seoul resident in their 70s, achieved success by building a business based on the legacy of their mother, who practiced sharing throughout her life. Recently, they decided to return a portion of their mother’s legacy to society. Having grown up watching their mother practice benevolence, donating was a natural choice. This decision was finalized through the daughter’s concrete execution. The donor’s daughter played a leading role in the entire donation process, serving as a bridge to pass the family’s spirit of sharing down to the next generation.
The donor remarked, “The sharing my mother practiced her whole life was our family’s greatest asset. Now, together with my daughter, I wish to pass that precious value to the leading figures of Korean science.” They added, “If this fund can provide practical help to young scholars, that alone is a sufficiently rewarding thing.”
Our university has decided to establish the ‘Cho Gi-yeop Next-Generation Research Leader Fellowship,’ named after the donor’s mother. The ‘Cho Gi-yeop Fellowship’ is designed as a principal-preserved fund, where the 5 billion KRW principal is maintained and the program is operated using the investment returns. Additionally, expressing the wish to “support young scientists as soon as possible,” the donor contributed an extra 60 million KRW for the first year of the program’s implementation.
Accordingly, starting this year, three ‘Cho Gi-yeop Fellows’ will be selected annually and supported with 20 million KRW each in academic activity expenses for three years. The fellowship is aimed at junior faculty members, specifically assistant and associate professors before tenure. This period is a ‘golden time’ when research capabilities grow explosively and innovative achievements are concentrated, but it is also a time when securing stable research funding is desperately needed. The support funds will be used to enhance research autonomy and scalability, such as for challenging research planning, international academic activities, and the expansion of research infrastructure. KAIST expects this fellowship to serve as a practical foundation for young researchers to make a global leap forward.
2026.02.26 View 276 -
Lotte Group Chairman Dong-Bin Shin Awarded Honorary Doctorate
< Chairman Dong-Bin Shin (left) receives the degree certificate from KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee (right). >
KAIST announced on the 26th that it awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration to Lotte Group Chairman Dong-Bin Shin at its main campus in Daejeon on the 25th.
Chairman Dong-Bin Shin, who received the Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration, is a leading South Korean business figure who has led sustainable corporate growth amidst a rapidly changing global business environment. As Chairman of Lotte Group, Chairman Shin has stably sophisticated the group's traditional business foundations centered on retail and consumer goods, while concentrating strategic capabilities on core areas that will determine future competitiveness, such as chemicals/materials, eco-friendly energy, and digital transformation.
KAIST stated, “Chairman Dong-Bin Shin has practiced responsible management by taking Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) as a core pillar of management under the recognition that corporate performance cannot be separated from society,” and added, “We awarded the honorary doctorate in high evaluation of his efforts in materializing industrial transformation and social value creation based on science and technology through systems and execution.” Furthermore, the importance of the process in which the results of technological innovation are practically diffused to society and users, which has been reflected in his management strategy, was also cited as a background for this conferment decision.
Chairman Dong-Bin Shin has contributed to the creation of science and technology research infrastructure and the establishment of a foundation for convergence research through industry-academia cooperation with KAIST. Lotte Group donated 14 billion KRW in development funds to KAIST to establish the ‘LOTTE–KAIST R&D Center’ and the ‘LOTTE–KAIST Design Center,’ thereby laying the groundwork for multidisciplinary convergence research in core areas required by future society, such as carbon neutrality technology, bio-sustainability, energy/materials, and healthcare.
In particular, this cooperation was evaluated as an execution-oriented industry-academia cooperation model that links research infrastructure construction, medium-to-long-term research agenda setting, and the diffusion of research results into industry and society. Along with technical research centered on the R&D Center, the Design Center has played a role in expanding the social usability of technological research by focusing on the process through which research results are delivered to society and users. This has contributed to strengthening KAIST’s research competitiveness and establishing a virtuous cycle in which research results spread as social values.
Chairman Dong-Bin Shin said, "The convergence of technology and management through industry-academia cooperation is no longer a choice but a survival strategy," and added, "I hope that the journey of Lotte and KAIST, as innovation partners designing the future together, will lead to innovations that change the world for the better."
< Chairman Dong-Bin Shin delivering a speech after receiving his Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration. >
President Kwang Hyung Lee stated, “Chairman Dong-Bin Shin is a person who has presented a new role for companies through responsible management that connects science and technology, industry, and social value,” and added, “We awarded the Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration in high recognition of his contribution to expanding research infrastructure and building a foundation for convergence research through industry-academia cooperation with KAIST.”
2026.02.26 View 298 -
Department of Industrial Design Signs MOU with Rosso Sungsimdang for Design Education and Research Collaboration
< Participants shouting ‘Bread!’ to celebrate the signing of the MOU >
The Department of Industrial Design at KAIST signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for industry-academic cooperation with Rosso Sungsimdang on February 24, 2026. This agreement was pursued to combine the unique creativity and technical expertise of each field to promote mutual growth and establish a cooperative system to lead innovation in cultural industry design.
The ceremony, held at the KAIST Department of Industrial Design, was attended by Department Head Professor Hyeon-Jeong Suk and 11 faculty members, along with Director Sun Im and three representatives from Rosso Sungsimdang. Through this agreement, the two organizations plan to continue close cooperation on key areas, including: ▲ Joint research on design, content, and service ideas integrating AI and future technologies ▲ Advancement of data management systems for brand, customer, and operations ▲ Research for data-driven strategic decision-making.
Both institutions are expected to lead design innovation in the cultural industry through the operation of regular consultative bodies and joint projects, while continuously showcasing new collaborative models that break the boundaries between industries.
2026.02.26 View 178 -
See You at KAIST: Freshman Keeps His Promise as 2026 Matriculation Ceremony Begins
<2026 Undergraduate Matriculation Ceremony>
KAIST announced that it will hold the 2026 Undergraduate Matriculation Ceremony today, February 25, at 10:00 AM in the Auditorium of the Main Campus in Daejeon. The event marks the first step for freshmen who will lead the future of South Korea’s science and technology.
In his welcoming remarks, President Kwang Hyung Lee plans to emphasize that “KAIST is a university built upon a spirit of inquiry that never stops questioning and a drive for challenge that does not fear failure.” He will encourage the students, stating, “I hope you challenge yourselves to your heart's content, and even if you fall, stand back up to blaze new trails that the world has never seen before.”
President Lee will also highlight that the role of talent in science and technology is more critical than ever in this era of massive transformation driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital transition. He plans to urge students to grow into responsible scientists and engineers who contribute to humanity and society through cooperation and communication, adding, “KAIST will spare no effort in supporting you to ensure your challenges become a reality.”
Marking the 40th class of incoming freshmen, this year’s ceremony will be attended by approximately 1,500 people, including students, parents, and distinguished guests, to celebrate this new beginning.
The speech by Junseop Shin, the student representative taking the podium, begins with the theme of a “promise.” He plans to share how the words “See you at KAIST,” spoken to him by President Kwang Hyung Lee at a defense industry forum three years ago, turned a vague dream into a definitive goal.
<Student Representative Junseop Shin delivering his speech>
Having contemplated his role in an era where science and technology dictate national competitiveness, Shin chose the challenging path of researching “small drone detection technology” instead of a more stable route. Despite numerous failures, frustrations, and discouragement from those around him, he persevered by remembering that promise, eventually achieving a technical breakthrough that garnered attention from international academic societies.
“I learned that keeping a promise isn't about never falling, but about getting back up every time you do,” Shin plans to say, vowing that his new beginning at KAIST will be a journey of fearless challenge.
The ceremony will also introduce the KAIST AI Future Challenge, themed “New and Innovative Ideas for the Future AI Era.” Any KAIST student can participate individually or as a team to tackle future societal issues with creative and feasible ideas. The winning teams will be honored at the “Education Innovation Day” ceremony in May.
<Students taking the matriculation oath>
Following the matriculation ceremony, an orientation will be held to assist students with their first steps into university life. This will include introductions to freshman programs, as well as essential training on community guidelines, mental health services, violence prevention, and safety education to support the students' stable transition into their studies and research.
Furthermore, the three-day “Freshman Start-up (Saenaegi Saerobaumteo)” will feature a diverse range of programs, including club performances, fairs, campus tours, and a welcoming broadcast festival. Freshmen will have the opportunity to experience KAIST culture firsthand and socialize with seniors and peers to shape their vision for university life.
2026.02.25 View 363