KAIST

< LOTTE x KAIST R&D CENTER Building >

KAIST and LOTTE have opened a new research hub that brings academia and industry together to address pressing sustainability challenges, including climate change and carbon neutrality. The center will support collaboration between the university and the company throughout the innovation process, from research and development to commercialization.

KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on September 13 that it had held an opening ceremony for the LOTTE x KAIST R&D CENTER at its main campus in Daejeon on August 11. Attendees included LOTTE Group Chairman Dongbin Shin, executives and representatives from LOTTE Group, senior KAIST administrators, and faculty and staff from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

< Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony >

The center was established with KRW 10 billion, approximately USD 7.5 million, in construction funding donated by LOTTE Group, along with funds raised by the KAIST Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. It will serve as a hub for collaborations between academia and industry across the entire R&D cycle, from basic and foundational research in emerging technologies to experimentation, prototyping, and commercialization.

By bringing KAIST’s research capabilities and LOTTE’s industrial expertise and commercialization experience together under one roof, the center introduces a new model of collaboration that goes beyond conventional partnerships between academia and industry. Rather than simply exchanging research findings, the two organizations will jointly identify and investigate future challenges and translate the resulting discoveries into industrial applications and commercial opportunities.

The initiative is closely aligned with President Bae’s “Beyond Laboratory” strategy. KAIST is expanding joint research in which companies participate from the earliest stages of defining problems, helping ensure that discoveries move beyond laboratories and academic papers to create meaningful change in industry and society. The university is also strengthening an innovation ecosystem that connects basic and foundational research with demonstration and commercialization.

The partnership between KAIST and LOTTE spans more than a decade. Since 2012, KAIST has offered commissioned master’s and doctoral programs for LOTTE employees. The two organizations have also expanded their cooperation in research and education through technology transfer and personnel exchanges involving LOTTE Chemical. In 2022, they established the LOTTE Chemical - KAIST Carbon Neutral Research Center to secure core technologies and cultivate highly skilled professionals for the transition to carbon neutrality.

Building on more than a decade of partnership and mutual trust, the new LOTTE x KAIST R&D CENTER expands the relationship through shared research infrastructure supporting collaborative research, future technology development, and commercialization.

The building has six floors above ground and one basement level, with a total floor area of approximately 4,298 square meters. Its open laboratories and collaborative spaces are designed to encourage researchers to work together and exchange ideas freely across disciplines and organizational boundaries.

Research at the center will focus on three areas, all united by the shared goal of creating a sustainable future.

The first area, Bio Sustainability, will apply systems metabolic engineering to develop sustainable biotechnology solutions, including biofuels and bioplastics that can replace conventional fossil resources.

The second area, Carbon Neutral Energy, Materials, and Processes, will focus on core technologies needed for a carbon neutral society, including green hydrogen, renewable energy, batteries, advanced materials, and industrial processes.

The third area, Advanced Food and Healthcare, will explore emerging technologies in future foods and health care to develop new solutions for a healthier and more sustainable society.

Artificial intelligence will be integrated throughout the center’s research to accelerate the discovery of new materials and technologies, and improve the speed and efficiency of R&D. Through this approach, the center will extend KAIST’s “AI Native Campus” strategy into practical research settings.

In addition to shared research facilities for LOTTE and KAIST researchers, the center houses Shin Dongbin Hall, a venue dedicated to communication and exchange among researchers. KAIST plans to use the center as a home base for expanding an open innovation ecosystem in which academic researchers and industry partners work together at every stage, from identifying problems and conducting R&D to demonstration and commercialization.

< Presentation of Appreciation Plaque >

Congratulating KAIST on the completion of the center, LOTTE Group Chairman Shin Dongbin said, “I hope the R&D center will become a hub for collaboration between industry and academia, transcending the boundaries between universities and businesses and unlocking even greater possibilities. LOTTE will remain a steadfast partner, empowering faculty and students to pursue bold ideas, take on new challenges, and conduct research without the fear of failure.”

KAIST President Choongsik Bae said, “I am deeply grateful to LOTTE for its longstanding support of KAIST’s education and research, and for its continued partnership. Today marks not only the completion of a building, but the beginning of a new chapter in our collaboration. By combining KAIST’s research excellence with LOTTE’s industrial and commercialization capabilities, we will turn ideas and technologies born in the laboratory into tangible value in the marketplace. Together, we will create new engines of growth for Korea and develop solutions for a sustainable future.”