US, European and Korean science experts gather to chart R&D future in AI era

Science and technology experts from the United States, Europe and South Korea convened Thursday to discuss strategies for AI-driven research and development innovation and avenues for global cooperation.

The National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST) said it co-hosted the 2026 Seoul S&T Forum with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST) at the Korea Science and Technology Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the forum drew about 300 domestic and international science and technology figures. Under the theme "AI for Science, Science for All," participants examined how AI is transforming scientific research methods and collaborative structures, and shared national strategies for responding to those changes.

This year's forum carried added significance as both KIST and KOFST mark their 60th anniversaries, making it an occasion to reflect on six decades of South Korean scientific achievement and chart a new direction for research innovation in the AI era.

During the morning policy session, Yun Gyeong-suk, director general for basic and original research policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, outlined South Korea's policy direction for AI-driven scientific research. Jang Jun-yeon, vice president of KIST, presented a vision for the AI transformation of research institutions, while Choi Jae-bung, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, spoke on the significance of science and technology in the AI age and the broader social changes it is bringing.

The afternoon's first session focused on AI-based national R&D strategies from the United States, Europe and South Korea. Jeffrey Hittinger of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the US, Samuel Kaski, a professor at Aalto University in Finland, and Yoo Yong-gyun, director of NST's National Science AI Research Center, shared their respective countries' approaches to research and development innovation.

The second session examined the changes AI is expected to bring to industrial settings and basic science research. Shim Sang-woo, chief technology officer of MakinaRocks, introduced AI-driven industrial R&D strategies. Baek Min-kyung, a professor at Seoul National University and a key developer of the AI protein structure prediction technology RoseTTAFold, explained how the paradigm of basic research is shifting in the AI era.

Earlier that morning, the second edition of "Good Morning, Science" — a networking event aimed at expanding science and technology cooperation between foreign diplomatic missions in Seoul and government-funded research institutes — also took place. KIST introduced its global open-innovation strategy and major international cooperation cases, and participants discussed ways to expand joint research and researcher exchanges.

"Scientific and technological advancement and research innovation can no longer be achieved by the capabilities of a single institution or country," NST Chairman Kim Young-sik said. "I hope this forum leads to substantive international joint research and personnel exchanges."

KIST President Oh Sang-rok said that if the past 60 years were a time when science and technology supported national development, the next 60 years will be an era in which science and technology leads it. "We will combine our accumulated research capabilities with AI and expand global cooperation to open new horizons in scientific discovery," Oh said.