KIST targets 1,000x semiconductor performance, $1/kg hydrogen in national R&D push

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology is moving ahead with seven major research and development missions aimed at solving pressing national challenges in semiconductors, AI, humanoid robots, clean hydrogen and Alzheimer's drug development.

KIST held a public briefing Thursday at its main campus in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul to present the initiative, titled "Our Mission, Your Future."

About 100 people attended, including officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the K-Moonshot task force under the National Research Council of Science and Technology, venture capital firms, and representatives from industry, academia and research institutions.

KIST introduced its mission-centered research framework in 2024, with the goal of pursuing research "that KIST must do and only KIST can do." The overhaul included adopting a project manager system and shifting from individual researcher-led work to team-based research focused on national priorities.

KIST Deputy President Jang Jun-yeon presented the key objectives of the institute's seven mission-centered research organizations alongside a review of progress over the past two years.

The Next-Generation Semiconductor Research Center is developing a Random Processing Unit, or RPU, designed to deliver computing performance 1,000 times greater than conventional processors while cutting power consumption to one-hundredth of current levels. The center has already achieved high-performance chip design and implemented route-optimization algorithms for retail logistics and autonomous driving, with technology demonstration planned next. On the quantum front, KIST is working to secure core technologies for large-scale quantum computers, building on advances in ultra-fast, high-efficiency quantum simulators.

The AI and Robot Research Center is working to advance humanoid robot technology for use alongside humans in industrial and everyday settings by 2030, drawing on "KAPEX" technology transferred to LG Electronics. The goal is technological self-reliance in humanoid robots as the foundation of physical AI.

The Climate and Environment Research Center has developed an AI-based climate prediction model to strengthen South Korea's capacity to respond to climate disasters. A carbon-capture material developed in-house is on track to reach mass-production capability by 2030 and enter commercialization.

The Clean Hydrogen Convergence Research Center has already brought hydrogen production costs down to around $5 per kilogram and demonstrated a system that simultaneously produces hydrogen and electricity from ammonia. The center plans to scale up the technology and expand demonstrations to meet surging power demand from AI data centers and other sources, with a target of reducing production costs to $1 per kilogram by 2033.

Research in the biotech sector is also accelerating to address the challenges of a super-aged society.

The Brain Science Research Center is pursuing final regulatory approval for an Alzheimer's drug, building on 500 billion won ($365 million) in global technology transfer deals. It also plans to expand the clinical pipeline for new treatment candidates and push for commercialization of early-diagnosis technology.

The Natural Products Drug Development Center, following a technology transfer of an eye-drop candidate for macular degeneration treatment, is upgrading an AI-powered drug development platform and targeting entry into the global market for age-related disease treatments.

The Space Composite Materials Research Center, launched in January, is developing ultra-lightweight, high-shielding and high-insulation composite materials capable of withstanding the extreme conditions of space. The effort aims to reduce dependence on foreign technology and build a foundation for domestic self-reliance in the space industry.

Alongside this, KIST plans to further strengthen its mission-centered R&D framework through expanded global joint research, commercialization of research outcomes and AI-driven innovation in scientific research.

"The past two years have been a process of shifting from individual researcher-led work to team-based research for national missions, while simultaneously reforming how we conduct research and the systems that support it," KIST President Oh Sang-rok said. "We hope that by sharing not only our achievements but also our trial and error and the challenges we faced, KIST's experience can help government-funded research institutes across the country make their own transition to mission-centered R&D."