Yeungnam University selected for Ministry of Science and ICT's AI Star Fellowship program

Yeungnam University announced Monday that it has been selected for the 2026 AI Star Fellowship program, a government initiative run by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP) to cultivate world-class early-career AI researchers.

The AI Star Fellowship program is designed to develop the next generation of researchers capable of leading AI research at a global level, with funding provided jointly by the Ministry of Science and ICT and IITP.

Under the selection, Yeungnam University will receive 11 billion won ($8.17 million) in government funding over five and a half years through December 2031 to establish the Humanoid Manufacturing AI Nexus (HuMAN) unit. Kim Seong-ho, a professor in the Department of Electronic Engineering, will serve as director and oversee the project.

The university's designated research task is developing core AI technologies for manufacturing-specialized humanoid robots through regional industry-academia collaboration, with the goal of training top-tier early-career AI researchers.

The core AI technologies needed to deploy humanoid robots on manufacturing floors will be developed across three integrated tracks — brain, body and hand — forming a single value chain.

The brain track focuses on ultra-low-power AI semiconductors that mimic the neural networks of the human brain to make real-time decisions with minimal energy consumption. Faculty involved include project leader Kim Min-jae of the Department of Advanced Materials Engineering, Park No-geun of the same department, Choi Gyu-sang of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and Baek Sang-su of the Department of Environmental Engineering.

The body track covers the design and operation platform for humanoid robots optimized for manufacturing tasks, led by project leader Lee Chan of the Department of Robotics Engineering, along with Lee Gi-dong and Yang Jun-mo from the same department. The hand track addresses autonomous manipulation and task intelligence — enabling robots to independently perceive, judge and handle components — and is led by project leader Kwon Nam-gyu of the Department of Electronic Engineering, with Song Yu-jae of the Department of Robotics Engineering and Kim Seong-ho of the Department of Electronic Engineering also participating.

Six of the 10 participating faculty members are early-career researchers, with younger scholars taking the lead on research while senior professors provide mentoring and support industry-academia linkages.

Three companies are also involved: S&M, an edge AI solutions firm, will handle industrial application and commercialization of the ultra-low-power AI semiconductor technology; SL Corp., a leading automotive parts manufacturer based in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, will conduct real-world demonstrations of humanoid robots on automotive parts production lines; and Coselo, a humanoid robot specialist, will oversee the demonstration and commercialization of autonomous manipulation technologies.

North Gyeongsang Province and Gyeongsan city will also support the project through regional talent development initiatives and demonstration infrastructure.

North Gyeongsang Province has designated Yeungnam University as an anchor institution for regional AI talent development and established the North Gyeongsang AI Convergence Institute on campus. The project also directly aligns with the semiconductor, future mobility and advanced robotics sectors identified as strategic industries for the Daegu-North Gyeongsang region under the government's five-hub, three-special-zone local era strategy.

The research team has set concrete talent development targets for the project period: producing 48 master's and doctoral-level AI specialists, completing 15 proof-of-concept demonstrations at company sites, and achieving 10 technology transfers and software registrations. The team plans to build a field-problem-solving talent development platform that integrates graduate education with hands-on industry experience, channeling research outcomes into papers, patents, technology transfers and employment. Hiring pipelines with participating companies and local government support will also be formalized to help trained researchers find jobs and settle in the region.

Kim Seong-ho, the project director, said the initiative marks "a starting point for shifting the AI advanced talent development system — currently concentrated in the greater Seoul area — to a model led by the regions."

Yeungnam University President Choi Oe-chul said the selection "is a meaningful achievement that recognizes Yeungnam University's capacity to lead research in future industries such as AI and robotics alongside the local community."