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Innovation in University Research Systems! Pusan National University Selected in Preliminary Evaluation for the "National Research Lab (NRL 2.0) Program"!

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the Cryogenic Research Institute of Pusan National University has been selected in the preliminary evaluation for the “National Research Lab (NRL 2.0) Program” jointly conducted by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT (hereafter “MSIT”).

The “National Research Lab (NRL 2.0) Program” selects university-affiliated research institutes that lead world-class research, providing annual support of 10 billion KRW for up to 10 years, totaling up to 100 billion KRW. This year, four research institutes will be selected.

• ●National Research Lab (NRL)
  Since 1999, approximately 400 research labs have been selected and supported over a span of ten years by the Ministry of Science and Technology, significantly contributing to the development of Korea’s university research ecosystem and the cultivation of outstanding researchers during a time when domestic research infrastructure was still underdeveloped.

Aiming to create a sustainable model for large-scale, interdisciplinary university-affiliated research institutes, the program intends to dramatically improve research capabilities and support systems. Amid high interest from universities nationwide, applications for new projects were accepted in April.

Following the preliminary evaluation, the Ministry of Education, MSIT, and the National Research Foundation of Korea announced on August 6 that 13 university-affiliated research institutes had been preliminarily selected.

Pusan National University’s Cryogenic Research Institute, which was selected in this round, proposed a research hub model for applied industrial development through multidisciplinary research and the establishment of an education system to secure core technologies for energy utilization in cryogenic and ultra-cryogenic environments.

It plans to carry out convergent research spanning basic science, engineering, and biomedical sciences, including:

• ●exploration of cryogenic and ultra-cryogenic phenomena,

• ●development of advanced materials and scientific data infrastructure,

• ●industrial application of cryogenic technologies and completion of energy storage technologies,

• ●investigation of cryogenic biological phenomena and regenerative medicine technologies.

In particular, the “core technology development for cryogenics” is being recognized as a key national project, especially as the importance of Arctic route development, shipping, ports, logistics, and decarbonized energy strategies—major policy goals of the current administration—is growing rapidly.

Recognizing the importance of the National Research Lab Program, Busan Metropolitan City has demonstrated a strong commitment to securing the project and has worked closely with universities and relevant institutions to prepare thoroughly for the selection process.

To support the selection of competitive research projects from local universities, the city established a dedicated task force led by the Vice Mayor for Future Innovation and built a support system involving universities and institutions such as the Busan Institute of Science and Technology for Higher Education Advancement. The city provided strategic consulting, local funding, and administrative cooperation to lay a strong foundation for attracting the project.

Successfully passing the preliminary evaluation is a testament to Busan’s locally-driven university-industry cooperation and the strength of its higher education and research capabilities. The city plans to continue providing full-scale support and mobilizing all available resources to ensure final selection.

The universities preliminarily selected in this round will undergo a second evaluation and review by the Project Steering Committee in September before the final selections are made.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “The National Research Lab Program, which offers large-scale national funding and unprecedented research autonomy, will play a significant role in transforming university research systems and enhancing global research competitiveness,” adding, “It is expected to generate synergy with the simultaneous growth of related industries and large-scale maritime logistics projects led by the government, as well as Busan’s initiative to become a global hub city. We will do our utmost to support the project until final selection is achieved.”