Four university labs selected as national research institutes, to receive 10 billion won a year for a decade

The government has selected four university-affiliated research institutes as National Research Laboratories (NRL 2.0), committing 10 billion won ($6.48 million) per year for 10 years to help them achieve world-leading research.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Education announced the results of the 2026 National Research Laboratory selection under the basic research project and said support for the four chosen institutes would begin immediately.

The National Research Laboratory program is a joint initiative by the two ministries to foster large-scale, convergence-oriented research hubs at universities. It aims to drive broad innovation in university research by leveraging each institution's top talent and infrastructure to produce groundbreaking work at the global frontier.

The four selected institutes are: Seoul National University's Human-Centered Physical AI Robotics Laboratory, Sungkyunkwan University's Sungkyun Intelligent Energy Solutions National Research Laboratory, Changwon National University's SMR2 Platform National Research Laboratory, and Chungnam National University's Theranostics Convergence National Research Laboratory.

The Human-Centered Physical AI Robotics Laboratory, led by professor Jo Gyu-jin, aims to develop Human-Centered Physical AI Robotics (H-PAIR) technology — systems that closely assist humans by drawing on embodied physical intelligence and distributed intelligence modeled on the human sensorimotor nervous system.

The Sungkyun Intelligent Energy Solutions National Research Laboratory, led by professor Park Nam-gyu, aims to develop advanced energy technologies and industry-tailored intelligent energy solutions capable of delivering large-scale, stable power supply while handling extreme load fluctuations. The institute is expected to combine high-efficiency solar cells and energy storage technology with AI and digital twin systems to support industrial electrification and power supply for AI data centers, contributing to carbon neutrality and strengthening the country's AI competitiveness.

The SMR2 Platform National Research Laboratory, led by professor Lee Jae-seon, aims to develop core materials, structural integrity, energy conversion, system integration and scale-up technologies specific to nuclear power plants, and to build a full-lifecycle integrated platform based on the SMR2AX Center.

The Theranostics Convergence National Research Laboratory, led by professor Choi Hak-su, aims to establish foundational theranostics technology integrating diagnosis and treatment. It uses multimodal approaches to identify the molecular, cellular and microenvironmental pathological mechanisms of intractable tumors, infectious diseases and degenerative brain disorders, then translates those findings into design parameters.

Kim Seong-su, director general for research and development policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said the government would provide sustained support so that the selected institutes grow into world-class research centers over the long term and serve as leading models that can be replicated across university research in Korea.