□ DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) announced that it held the “2026 InnoCORE Kick-off” over two days starting on the 18th at the main auditorium of the research building (R1) on campus, marking the full-scale launch of the Center for Energy Materials Commercialization through AI Transformation (AX) (hereinafter, the “E-MatAX Research Center”), which will lead the commercialization of AI-based energy materials. The event brought together DGIST researchers, professors participating in the joint research, and representatives from industry, academia, and research institutions to share the E-MatAX Research Center’s vision and implementation strategies and engage in in-depth discussions on future collaboration.
□ The newly launched E-MatAX Research Center aims to actively leverage AI technologies to innovate the entire lifecycle of energy materials, from design and manufacturing processes to performance prediction, demonstration, and commercialization. In particular, the Center plans to establish an “integrated AI platform” encompassing energy production, conversion, and storage to dramatically reduce the time and cost required for materials development and facilitate the rapid adoption of the developed technologies in industrial settings. The Center also plans to work closely with leading research institutions and companies in Korea and abroad to create a future-oriented research ecosystem that integrates AI and materials engineering.
□ The Center will operate from May 2026 to December 2030 with support from the Institutes of Science and Technology InnoCORE Program. Led by DGIST, 33 participating faculty members from eight universities in Korea will carry out projects across four research pillars: 1) a materials–process AI platform, 2) energy production, 3) energy conversion, and 4) energy storage. More than 29 major companies and government-funded research institutes, including Samsung Electronics, LG Energy Solution, and POSCO, will participate as partners.
□ In addition, the Center will operate an “InnoCORE Fellow” program with approximately 25 fellows at any given time to establish an advanced research system centered on outstanding postdoctoral researchers (post-docs). Fellows will independently conduct research under a multi-mentoring system involving DGIST faculty, faculty from other universities, and industry experts. Contracts may be renewed for up to five years based on annual performance evaluations, and the program is expected to develop approximately 50 outstanding early-career researchers over the entire project period. Furthermore, it will provide three tailored career development tracks—academic research, industry, and entrepreneurship—on an equal basis, providing full support for the multifaceted growth of early-career researchers.
□ “To accelerate the commercialization of energy materials, it is important not only to advance AI technology itself but, above all, to cultivate outstanding research personnel capable of integrating materials, processes, and AI,” said Su-Mi Hur, Director of the E-MatAX Research Center. “The E-MatAX Research Center will provide a world-class research environment that will cultivate highly capable post-docs and establish itself as an innovation platform that leads AI-based energy materials research globally.”
□ The E-MatAX Research Center is currently actively recruiting InnoCORE Fellows. Detailed information on eligibility requirements, compensation, and other conditions is available on the Center’s official website (innocore.or.kr).
