Samyang chairman calls for AI-driven research edge at annual R&D fair

Samyang Group held the "Samyang Innovation R&D Fair (SIRF) 2026" on Wednesday at Samyang Discovery Center in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, the company announced Thursday.

Now in its 15th year, SIRF is an annual event where Samyang Group researchers present and exhibit their R&D achievements from the past year. The fair also recognizes and rewards projects that successfully reached early commercialization through outstanding technology, with the aim of boosting researchers' motivation.

This year, Samyang Group selected two projects for top honors: the development of a laser-weldable EMC material and the development of an ion exchange resin for nuclear power plants.

Award recipients were chosen through a comprehensive evaluation of economic performance, contribution to the company's competitiveness and innovation. Each winning research team received a prize of 30 million won ($22,400).

The laser-weldable EMC development project earned high marks for being the first in South Korea to develop a material essential to the housing fusion process — the process of bonding the body and cover of a plastic case — used to prevent heat damage in ultra-precision electronic components.

The material can be mass-produced in multiple colors required for automotive parts, and offers strong flame resistance and moisture durability. It is currently used in materials for domestic automotive cameras and actuators.

The ion exchange resin project for nuclear power plants won recognition for developing a proprietary manufacturing process technology for lithium-type ion exchange resins needed at power plants.

Samyang Group advanced its ion exchange resin pre-treatment process to maximize the removal of metallic impurities remaining in the resin, and achieved production of a lithium-type ion exchange resin that delivers the same performance with less lithium raw material. The product is currently supplied to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power.

Beyond the award-winning projects, SIRF 2026 featured ongoing research from seven laboratories spanning chemicals, food, pharmaceutical biotech, packaging and bio-convergence. The exhibition was organized around seven themes, including high-value engineering plastic materials, bio-compatible beauty and health new materials, and a SENS-based gene therapy for pulmonary fibrosis.

Chairman Kim Yoon delivered remarks at the event, urging researchers to "provide the technological backbone for advancing our global specialty business portfolio, and to continuously review and strengthen R&D priorities and core competencies in alignment with our mid- to long-term business strategy." He also called on them to "embed AI as the foundational infrastructure of R&D and build a differentiated research edge."

Kim added that researchers should "actively propose new ideas and technologies by keeping a close eye on changes in future customer needs and industry trends, and bring focused commitment to projects where commercialization potential has been confirmed." He also said, "R&D inevitably involves countless failures before a single success, so I ask that you approach your work with the passion to see it through to the end."