KAIST

< (From left) Tae Jin Ha, CEO of VIRNECT, Kwang Hyung Lee, President of KAIST >

An open platform for industry-academia-research collaboration, which has accumulated K-Metaverse technology capabilities that break down the boundaries between reality and virtuality and share experiences beyond the limits of time and space, is expected to be built on our university campus.

Our university announced on the 13th that it’s signing an agreement for the establishment and operation of a 'Virtual Convergence Research Center' with the Graduate School of Metaverse and VIRNECT Co., Ltd. (CEO Tae Jin Ha), a domestic augmented/virtual reality (XR) specialized company and a startup founded by a KAIST alumnus.

The Virtual Convergence Research Center, which will be newly constructed on our university campus, plans to prepare for the future participation of related government-funded research institutes, and is expected to function as a national strategic hub that creates future growth engines for the Republic of Korea, going beyond simple industry-academia cooperation. VIRNECT Co., Ltd. plans to create the research center as an open research collaboration platform in which domestic and international industry, academia, and research institutes jointly participate with KAIST.

This research center is expected to experiment with the convergence of reality and virtuality and establish itself as a global hub for the 'K-Metaverse Innovation Ecosystem' where technology development, talent cultivation, and industrial diffusion are in a virtuous cycle.

VIRNECT Co., Ltd. was founded by KAIST alumnus Tae Jin Ha, listed on KOSDAQ in 2023, and won the CES Innovation Award for developing the industrial AI smart goggles 'VisionX'. It has grown into a representative domestic spatial computing company based on various industrial innovation technologies such as AI/XR solutions and digital twin. Synergistic co-prosperity with KAIST is anticipated through this collaboration.

Spatial computing and XR technology are areas where global big techs like Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Samsung are engaged in fierce competition for dominance, paying attention to them as the next-generation AI platforms. With major countries such as the US and China investing enormous capital and capabilities, the launch of the KAIST Virtual Convergence Research Center is evaluated as a strategic response for South Korea not to fall behind in the competition of the post-metaverse era.

The research center plans to lead both industrial productivity and social innovation as an R&BD (Research & Business Development) hub that integrates core technologies such as digital twin, metaverse, spatial/physical intelligence, and wearable XR. Furthermore, it will quickly verify the applicability to industrial sites and support the creation of new industries through a full-cycle system covering education, research, demonstration, commercialization, and diffusion.

Moreover, the research center will create national synergy by being closely linked with government policies. Strengthening the link between education and research, fostering a sustainable metaverse ecosystem, and expanding global leadership through an open industry-academia-research platform align with the government's strategy for advancing the virtual convergence industry.

< Executives from both organizations attending the signing ceremony >

VIRNECT CEO Tae Jin Ha said, "The long-term cooperation with KAIST is a stepping stone for us to leap forward as a game-changer in the global XR industry," adding, "We will strengthen virtual convergence technology competitiveness through research and education infrastructure and accelerate commercialization through demonstration."

Professor Woontack Woo, Dean of the Graduate School of Metaverse, emphasized, "The Virtual Convergence Research Center will serve as an open platform where industry, academia, and research institutes jointly experiment with K-Metaverse innovation, and a 'Meta Power Plant' that cultivates future core personnel and disseminates research results to the industry."

KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee said, "This agreement is a strategic investment to secure global leadership by breaking down the boundaries between research and industry, going beyond simply creating a new research center," and "KAIST will spare no support for the research center."

With the future designation of the KAIST Virtual Convergence Research Center as a government-specialized graduate school/research center for the virtual convergence industry and increased industry cooperation, it will establish itself as a national innovation platform that concentrates South Korea's metaverse capabilities. This is expected to lead to the creation of new value for the future society and the strengthening of national competitiveness, going beyond simple technology development.