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Busan Metropolitan City Signs MOU with 12 Major Academia-Industry-Research Institutions for the Promotion of the Nuclear Power Industry

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that today (23rd) at 2:00 p.m. in the Crystal Ballroom of Lotte Hotel Busan, the city will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for cooperation in promoting the nuclear power industry with 12 key academia-industry-research institutions.

At the ceremony, in addition to Mayor Park Heong-joon, the following participants will attend:

• ●[Representative Institutions] Ryu Seok-hyun, President of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials; Kim Hyung-chan, Director General of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology; Lee Gwang-ho, Director General of the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency; Kim Hyung-gyun, President of Busan Technopark

• ●[Companies] Kim Jong-doo, President of Doosan Enerbility; Kim Yong-woon, Director General of HJ Heavy Industries & Construction

• ●[Universities] Choi Jae-weon, President of Pusan National University; Ryu Dong-geun, President of Korea Maritime & Ocean University; Han Soo-hwan, President of Dong-Eui University

• ●[Organizations] Noh Baek-sik, Executive Vice Chairman of the Korea Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc.; Yeo Doo-young, Chairman of the Korea Atomic Equipment Industry Promotion Association; Lim Young-ha, Chairman of the Korea Nuclear Industry Research Institute Cooperative

The MOU includes 13 participants in total: Busan Metropolitan City plus 4 institutions, 2 companies, 3 universities, and 3 organizations.

This MOU carries significant meaning as the first agreement to involve the city, nuclear power-related institutions, companies, and academia, with the purpose of strengthening cooperation and creating an ecosystem for the nuclear power industry.

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Participating institutions will cooperate in various areas such as:

• ●Supporting the growth of nuclear power-related companies

• ●Utilizing research facilities and equipment to foster talent

• ●Exchanging technologies and information related to the nuclear power industry

• ●Jointly organizing academic conferences, seminars, and briefings

Among the participating companies:

• ●Doosan Enerbility is the only company in Korea capable of manufacturing key nuclear power equipment.

• ●HJ Heavy Industries & Construction, a representative Busan-based company, recorded its highest-ever order volume of approximately KRW 4.7 trillion in shipbuilding and construction last year. Recently, in the bidding for the decommissioning work of the non-controlled internal areas and yard* of Kori Unit 1, a consortium including Doosan Enerbility and HJ Heavy Industries & Construction was selected as the top-ranked contractor.
  *Yard: The external site of a power plant (used for storage of equipment and materials and as a work area).

• ●Pusan National University and Dong-Eui University are participating in the Regional Energy Technology Sharing University Project to provide nuclear power lifecycle education, nurture research personnel, and connect graduates to employment opportunities.

• ●Korea Maritime & Ocean University is also contributing to the development of the nuclear industry by participating in a local energy cluster talent development project.

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After the signing ceremony, Busan Metropolitan City and the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials will jointly host the “Forum on Revitalizing the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Industry.”

The forum will feature presentations on:

• ●Introduction of the SMR Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing Support Center Project (Seo Jeong, Director of the SMR Technology Commercialization Research Division, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials)

• ●Current status of innovative small modular reactor (i-SMR) technology development and the role of domestic companies (Kim Han-gon, Director of the i-SMR Project Division)

• ●Current progress in next-generation small nuclear reactor development (Baek Won-pil, former Vice President of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute)

• ●SMR development and commercialization trends of Doosan Enerbility (Kim Si-hong, Director of Doosan Enerbility)

Busan Metropolitan City is investing KRW 29.5 billion to establish the SMR Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing Support Center by the end of 2026. The city expects this forum to become an important stepping stone for nurturing next-generation nuclear power-related industries and building business networks.

Mayor Park Heong-joon said, “This agreement lays the foundation for establishing a cooperative framework with major academia, industry, and research institutions, enabling effective responses to power demand arising from carbon neutrality, energy security, and the spread of AI data centers. Going forward, Busan Metropolitan City will do its utmost to build the nuclear power industry ecosystem and revitalize the local economy together with key partners in academia, industry, and research.”