Gyeonggi Province University-Industry Cooperation Initiatives Shine in Creating Future Growth Engines

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gap-dong] Gyeonggi Province's university-industry cooperation projects, pursued to unearth future growth engines and provide opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises within the province that lack research and development infrastructure, are drawing attention by achieving significant outcomes in artificial intelligence (AI), new materials, and medical technology sectors.

Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, has declared that the center and budgetary goals of the 8th civilian-led Gyeonggi Provincial Administration focus on people and "humanomics," and will invest in sustainable growth. The province is pursuing various support initiatives to invigorate the economy and unearth future growth engines.

Among these efforts, the province supports joint research and development activities through the Gyeonggi Regional Collaborative Research Centers (GRRC) program at 11 centers within the province, including Sungkyunkwan University. Among the 11 centers, development centers are supported with 500 million won annually for six years, and after subsequent evaluation, they are converted to achievement utilization centers receiving an additional 130 million won annually for three years. Through this process, technology transfer to companies within the province, commercialization support, and cultivation of R&D; specialists for regional industrial development are facilitated.

Current development centers include △Korea Engineering University's Advanced Multi-Material Processing Technology Innovation Research Center △Hanyang University's Hydrogen Energy Full-Cycle Core Technology Research Center △Korea Aerospace University's Advanced Mobility Convergence Technology Research Center △Sungkyunkwan University's Next-Generation Semiconductor Materials and Processing Research Center △Ajou University's Technology Development Center for Aging-Related Incurable Diseases △Kyung Hee University's Global Next-Generation Semiconductor Research Center, totaling six institutions.

Achievement utilization centers include △Sungkyunkwan University's Convergent Sensor Materials and Processing Platform △Gyeonggi University's Intelligent Information Convergence Manufacturing Research Center △Korea Aerospace University's Image-Sound Space Convergence Technology Research Center △Gachon University's AI Healthcare Research Center △Kyung Hee University's Global Pharmaceutical Materials Development Research Center, totaling five institutions.

In October, Professor Kim Han-gi's team from Sungkyunkwan University's Department of Advanced Materials Engineering succeeded in developing innovative flexible electronic devices by combining traditional Korean hanji paper with MXene, a next-generation advanced material.

The research utilized hanji's excellent durability and flexibility while coating MXene, a two-dimensional nanomaterial, on the cellulose surface. In particular, the research team overcame the limitations of existing solution coating processes by applying spray coating technology, thereby securing technology applicable to diverse industrial fields including heat generation, conductors, electromagnetic shielding materials, and temperature sensors.

Notable achievements were also recorded in the medical field. Sungkyunkwan University's ICT Elite Talent Development Project (led by Director Choo Hyun-seung) developed artificial intelligence-based retinal image data analysis technology in August.

This technology analyzes visual information from deep within the eye using deep learning-based methods and can diagnose 10 eye diseases and measure 15 systemic information with 98% accuracy. Particularly, it can predict not only eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and glaucoma, but also systemic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, earning recognition as revolutionary technology in preventive medicine.

The project team completed applications for two domestic patents and plans to complete a more comprehensive diagnostic platform through collaboration with hospitals within the province.

In May, Professor Oh Jin-young's research team from Kyung Hee University's Department of Chemical Engineering succeeded in developing the world's first self-healing transistor.

The research team used thin-film nanotechnology to enable all electronic components—conductors, semiconductors, and insulators—comprising the transistor to restore electrical characteristics even when damaged. This elevates the possibility of serving as a core device for electronic skin, a skin-attachable wearable device, and the research team plans to develop electronic skin systems.

Additionally, numerous research teams are achieving advanced technology development outcomes, including Professor Kim Young-hoon's team from Sungkyunkwan University's Department of Advanced Materials Engineering, who succeeded in developing new artificial intelligence-based signal processing technology utilizing nanomaterials, and Professor Lee Hong-seop's research team from Kyung Hee University's Department of Information and Electronic Materials Engineering, who developed lithium-ion memristor devices to accelerate next-generation AI semiconductor development.

From July last year through June of this year, Gyeonggi GRRC projects produced 38 SCI-level papers, cultivated 49 specialized research personnel (Master's/Ph.D. degree holders), registered 11 patents, completed 16 technology transfers, and achieved 20 commercializations. Notably, analysis of participating companies' sales revealed that per 100 million won of provincial funding generated 870 million won in sales and created 2.7 jobs.

The province plans to continue supporting these research outcomes so they can be applied in actual industrial settings. Particularly for applied research in AI-based medical and biotechnology fields, an additional 450 million won in provincial funding will be provided over three years through 2026. Through this, the province anticipates strengthening the technological competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises within the province and fostering an innovative industrial ecosystem.

Kim Tae-geun, Director of the Digital Innovation Division, stated, "These research outcomes are excellent examples of technological innovation through university-industry cooperation," and added, "Going forward, Gyeonggi Province will spare no effort in supporting meaningful research outcomes through the Regional Collaborative Research Centers support program."