Changwon National University selected for SMR research lab program; PPP lawmaker vows world-class R&D ecosystem

Changwon National University's SMR² Platform National Research Laboratory has been selected for the 2026 National Research Laboratory (NRL2.0) program run by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT. People Power Party lawmaker Choi Hyeong-du of South Gyeongsang Province's Masan Happo district welcomed the designation, saying the selection, following the passage of the SMR Global Foundry Special Act, "lays the groundwork for Changwon to firmly emerge as a hub city for the new energy industry in the AI era."

Choi served as the opposition party's floor coordinator on the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee during the first half of the 22nd National Assembly and has been credited with actively supporting the project.

NRL2.0 is a national core research and development program through which the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT seek to cultivate world-class university-affiliated research institutes. This year, only four institutes nationwide were selected — two under a national category and two under a newly created regional category. Each selected institute will receive up to 10 billion won ($6.48 million) per year for up to 10 years, for a total of up to 100 billion won.

The SMR² Platform National Research Laboratory at Changwon National University aims to develop core materials, structural integrity, energy conversion, and system integration and scaling technologies specific to nuclear power plants, while building a global SMR autonomous-operation platform linked to AI and Mega-HILS (Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation). The lab is expected to secure key technologies for AI-based next-generation small modular reactors and grow into a central research hub positioning South Korea to lead the global SMR market.

The project was selected under the regional category that the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT introduced for the first time this year to develop world-class research capabilities at regional universities. It is seen as a turning point for Changwon National University to establish itself as the country's central institution for SMR research and development.

"Changwon is the heart of South Korea's nuclear power industry and a city with the finest industrial and research foundation to lead the SMR sector," Choi said. "This national research laboratory designation will be a historic turning point for Changwon to emerge as a world-class SMR research and development hub."

He added that SMRs are "a next-generation energy source to meet the surging power demand of the AI era and a future growth engine for South Korea," and pledged to build "a world-class SMR research and development ecosystem in which universities, government-funded research institutes, and regional nuclear companies including Doosan Enerbility collaborate closely, centered on Changwon National University." Choi said he would provide full policy and fiscal support at the National Assembly level to help Changwon grow into a global nuclear innovation city, beyond South Korea and for the world.