□ The Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST) (president Young Kuk), Samsung C&T Corporation (representatives Jeong-seok Go, Se-cheol Oh, and Hae-rin Jeong), and MFR (a DGIST startup, represented by Seung-yeol Lee,) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on May 16 (Tue) 2023, for joint research and mutual cooperation to develop high-tech construction automation technology.
□ With this MOU, each party agreed to establish a collaborative system to (i) cooperate in developing high-tech construction automation technology, (ii) work together to nurture construction automation companies and obtain talented professionals, (iii) plan projects to develop high-tech construction automation technology, (iv) jointly discover and develop industry-academia-research R&D collaboration projects, and (v) share human and material resources with each other in the developmental process for the construction automation technology.
□ Based on this MOU, each party is expected to expand research projects in the field of robotics-based construction automation, and to conduct empirical joint research based on a variety of know-hows and outcomes from construction sites. In addition, the aim is to create a virtuous cycle by commercializing research results from the research center by cooperation with the large company, including “fostering specialized industries, training experts, and commercializing technologies.”
□ Research Vice President Jeon-il Moon at DGIST said, “With this MOU, we will dedicate ourselves to providing a collaborative model from training experts to commercializing technologies along with joint research on robotics-based infrastructure construction technology.” Vice President Chun-gil Hwang of Samsung C&T Corporation said, “Based on Samsung C&T Corporation’s high-tech construction know-how, we will continue to develop construction automation technologies that can ensure safety and productivity in construction sites by combining the university’s original technology with the specialized company’s technological development capacity.”
□ Meanwhile, DGIST signed an MOU with Samsung Electronics in March 2023 to establish the Semiconductor Contract Department, and the university is emerging as a regional semiconductor university as it was planned to build Daegu-style large-scale semiconductor manufacturing facilities by 2026. Samsung C&T Corporation established the Semiconductor Infrastructure Research Center (Director Il-gyu Jang) in July 2022 and continues to invest in fabrication (fab) plant construction technology. With this MOU, the combination of DGIST’s future technology and Samsung C&T Corporation’s construction experience and knowledge is expected to expand technical capacity to conduct high-tech business and accelerate technological development, including semiconductor fabrication plant construction and construction automation technology development.
