SKKU, Selected as ‘2020 Industrial Technology Hub Center’ 

SKKU was selected as ‘2020 Industrial Technology Hub Center, Pilot Fostering Project’ organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.

The project is aimed at (Step 1) continuously developing and accumulating original technologies through R&D and (Step 2) establishing R&D support and supply base systems so that the university research institute can supply and spread them to companies through R&D. SKKU was selected as the number one target of support for the project and received 52.5 billion won from the National Treasury for 2.5 years of the first stage. In the second phase, the government plans to establish a supply base system over four years.

This project will be led by the director, Prof. Jonghwan Seo of Mechanical Engineering, and 9 professors of Chemical Engineering and 5 research professors of Industry-University Collaboration will participate in this project. In addition, 6 R&D cooperation organizations and 71 corporations will participate as consortium.

During the first stage of the pilot project, the Hub Center plans to develop core technologies for composite materials and simultaneous design, and manufacturing technologies. Additionally, they will develop battery pack covers applicable to the future car market, which is emerging as Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM), and non-pneumatic tires to verify the possibility of practical use of the studied core technology, along with the 6 consortiums. Based on these technologies and achievements, it is predicted that in the second stage, the core technology developed by the university research institute will be supplied and distributed in earnest by diversifying the composite material parts sector into semiconductor equipment and 3D printing sectors over four years.

[Image1] PBV (Purpose Built Vehicle) Example of composite material

The dean of SKKU Univ-Industry Collaboration said “If this hub center is successfully developed, it is expected that domestic/international exports will be possible as an exemplary industry-academic cooperation model between universities and corporations.” The director of this project, Prof. Jonghwan Seo, said “It is expected that this hub center will grow to a world-class level and serve as a supply base for supplying and spreading the original technologies of domestic composite materials and components to related industries in the future. IT will also be able to dominate the high value-added materials and parts market and enhance domestic competitiveness.”