□ The Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST; President Kunwoo Lee) announced that two research centers, the Brain Engineering Convergence Research Center (Director Professor Jiwoong Choi) and the Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering Center (Director Professor Sukho Park), have been selected for the 2025 Glocal Lab Project organized by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
□ Glocal Lab Project is a large-scale funding project to develop university research centers into local R&D hubs and support universities to lead regional development by creating basic research outcomes and fostering the next generation of talented individuals. This year, six research centers outside and five research centers within the Seoul metropolitan area were selected as hub research centers, and DGIST was the only university in the Seoul metropolitan area to have two research centers selected for the project.
□ This proves that DGIST’s “dual pillar innovation strategy” of leading local innovation while promoting global research is recognized. The two research centers will receive a total of KRW 27 billion (KRW 13.5 billion per research center) from the government for the next nine years to conduct world-class interdisciplinary research and nurture talented individuals. In particular, the Brain Engineering Convergence Research Center will receive a total of KRW 14.4 billion, which includes KRW 0.9 billion from Daegu Metropolitan City.
□ The key goal of the Brain Engineering Convergence Research Center is to develop neuro-replica (NR), a neural circuit digital twin technology. The NR is a technology that replicates the electrical and biological signals of the actual brain nerve cells in a virtual environment using a precise AI-based computerized electronic circuit model. It enables quantitatively predicting and replicating how the brain responds under certain neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. The developed model is expected to have wide-ranging applications, including in an in-depth analysis of diseases, personalized medicine by finding the optimal stimulation conditions for individual patients, development of non-invasive neurostimulation technologies minimizing side effects, and implementation of high-resolution artificial senses.
□ The Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering Center will lead the research in transhuman robotics, which innovatively expand human motor, sensory, and cognitive capabilities. By developing a two-way sensory interface based on brain, nerve, and tactile signals, wearable and scalable robots, and an integrated platform that comprehensively recognizes and controls these robots, the Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering Center proposes a new paradigm where humans and robots interact as if there were one body. It is expected to expand across several industries worldwide, including rehabilitation, healthcare, smart factories, space, and ocean exploration.
“We will achieve DGIST’s original brain nerve digital twin technology and lead the future era of brain engineering through interdisciplinary basic, clinical, and engineering research,” said Director Jiwoong Choi of the Brain Engineering Convergence Research Center. “We will work with Daegu Metropolitan City to grow the nervous system-related industry into a new industry representative of the region.” “With research on robotics extending humanity, we will open a new future of expanding human capabilities beyond the boundaries of humans and robots,” said Director Sukho Park of the Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering Center.
□ “Two research centers from DGIST selected as Glocal Labs represent an achievement of our efforts to strengthen our local base and global research competitiveness at the same time,” said DGIST President Kunwoo Lee. The President added, “We will continue to focus on DGIST’s strategic areas, such as physical AI, human digital twins, and quantum sensing, and get ahead as a world-class innovative university.”
□ Meanwhile, through the Glocal Lab project, DGIST will (i) create world-class interdisciplinary research outcomes, (ii) nurture the next generation of interdisciplinary talented individuals, (iii) simultaneously promote local industry–academia collaboration and global joint research, and (iv) reinforce commercialization and startup connections. With the above, DGIST will further strengthen its vision of becoming “an innovative university leading both the region and the world.”
