□ DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) will offer a free "Fragrance Industry Expert Training Program" at the Daegu Scale-Up Hub (DASH) in the Dongdaegu Venture Valley in Daegu from June 15 to 19. You can apply for the course on the DGIST Convergence Research Advanced Center for Olfaction website (https://olfaction.dgist.ac.kr).
□ This training was organized as part of the "Priority Research Centers Program" supported by the Ministry of Education and Daegu City, aimed at nurturing practical professionals in the fragrance industry and identifying the demand for startups and commercialization based on olfactory convergence technology. The DGIST Convergence Research Advanced Center for Olfaction has continuously provided specialized education necessary for the fragrance industry based on olfactory cognitive science, sensory analysis, and fragrance application technology, thereby contributing to the cultivation of young professionals and the high value-added development of local industries.
□ This year's curriculum is characterized by the enhancement of olfactory training, sensory evaluation, fragrance analysis, and practical applications that could be applied in the industry, alongside theoretical education. Trainees will go beyond simply distinguishing and memorizing scents to scientifically explaining and analyzing them, thereby developing practical skills that link these processes to product development, consumer evaluation, and efficacy verification. The detailed practical training programs will reflect the needs of the trainees and their applicability to the industry.
□ The training will be directly conducted by Professor Jérémie Topin, the head of the Flavor & Fragrance program at Côte d'Azur University in Nice, France, and Dr. Jérôme Golebiowski, an expert in the fragrance industry. They will support trainees in acquiring world-class expertise in the fragrance industry based on olfactory training methods and sensory analysis techniques used in local French curricula.
□ In particular, the DGIST Convergence Research Advanced Center for Olfaction plans to operate the educational program of this year in conjunction with the olfactory convergence startup support program. The program aims to identify olfaction-based business models, technology validation needs, and data application needs among participating companies, prospective entrepreneurs, and researchers. For promising items, the center plans to provide follow-up support using its research infrastructure and expert network.
□ Moreover, the center is considering to provide empirical support using precision olfactory stimulation systems as well as EEG-based bio-signal measurement and analysis environments for participating companies and prospective entrepreneurs in future training sessions. Through these efforts, they plan to help early-stage startup teams use expensive research infrastructure and validation environments that are difficult to establish on their own and develop it into a startup support program that ensures the reliability of products and services.
□ Cheil Moon, Director of the DGIST Convergence Research Advanced Center for Olfaction, stated "DGIST has been providing olfaction-based specialized education applicable to various fields such as fragrances, cosmetics, food, bio, and healthcare through the Fragrance Industry Expert Training Program. This year, we aim to expand the fragrance industry into a science and technology-based convergence industry by linking educational outcomes with startup and commercialization support and contribute to the revitalization of the local startup ecosystem."
□ This training is aimed at university and graduate students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and related industrial professionals interested in the fragrance industry. Through technical exchanges and startup support connections between Korean and French experts, DGIST is expected to contribute to the creation of an olfactory convergence technology-based fragrance industry ecosystem.
