[Science Bulletin] South Korea Boosts Hydrogen R&D with ₩42.7 Billion Investment

Logo of the Ministry of Science and ICT. Provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT

■ The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) introduced that it held a ‘Meeting with Hydrogen Technology Researchers’ on the sixth on the Daejeon workplace of the National Research Foundation of Korea. The MSIT will make investments a complete of ₩42.7 billion this 12 months to attain technological independence and safe competitiveness throughout your entire hydrogen life cycle. This is a 50.2% enhance from the ₩28.4 billion invested in 2025. A complete of ₩25.1 billion will likely be invested within the ‘National Hydrogen Core Research Labs,’ an establishment devoted to hydrogen expertise improvement, whereas ₩17.6 billion will likely be invested in securing promising future applied sciences, conducting joint analysis with main nations, and creating convergence applied sciences between totally different hydrogen tech sectors. At the assembly, Professor Jun-Young Park’s workforce from Sejong University shared a case examine on creating low-cost, high-efficiency electrodes and catalysts for Proton-Conducting Ceramic Electrolysis (PCEC), and introduced achievements equivalent to U.S. and European patent functions, an organization startup, and expertise switch. Other shared achievements included a high-efficiency hydrogen manufacturing pressure and course of based mostly on natural waste by Senior Researcher Jeong-Hun Park’s workforce on the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology; an ultra-porous, high-performance hydrogen storage materials by Professor Chang-Sub Hong’s workforce at Korea University; and a perovskite-based photoelectrochemical hydrogen manufacturing system by Professor Sang-Han Lee’s workforce on the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology.

■ The Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI) introduced that it held the ‘468th Science and Technology Policy Forum’ on the sixth, creating an area to debate area improvement and coverage with residents underneath the theme ‘Okay-Space Development Through Books: Researchers, Citizens, and Policy.’ The discussion board started with a screening of the documentary ‘Star of the Himalayas – TARA,’ that includes Kim Ki-hyun, CEO of the astronomy training firm ‘TARA.’ Ahn Hyeong-jun, head of the Space Public Team at STEPI, gave a presentation on ‘Why Space Policy Needs a Narrative.’ The following discuss live performance featured panelists Choi Eun-jung, Director of the Space Risk Monitoring Center on the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute; Chung Min-sub, Principal Researcher on the similar institute; Lim Jong-bin, Head of the Strategic Planning Division on the Korea Aerospace Research Institute; and Professor Choi Byeong-gak of Seoul National University, who mentioned their respective books with the residents. There was additionally an occasion the place books authored by the panelists got away to residents attending in particular person.

■ The Gwacheon National Science Museum introduced on the sixth that it’ll run inquiry-based science education schemes for kids and youth teams beginning this April, with registration opening on the eleventh. This 12 months, a complete of 34 profession exploration programs and 13 experiment-based inquiry programs will likely be supplied. The profession exploration programs, designed for college kids from preschool to highschool, are single-session experiment and sensible coaching applications masking S&T profession fields equivalent to forensic science, biomedical engineering, power engineering, atmospheric science and meteorology, and pc engineering. The experiment-based inquiry programs are two-session, in-depth experimental applications for small teams like center and highschool golf equipment, using specialised lab gear to discover core subjects in fundamental and knowledge sciences. Applications and registration open on the twelfth for profession exploration programs and on the eleventh for experiment-based inquiry programs. Registration is feasible till the tip of the month two months previous to the category date. Applications and registration could be accomplished via the Gwacheon National Science Museum’s on-line studying administration system (www.sciencecenter.go.kr/edu), and extra particulars could be discovered on the museum’s official web site (www.sciencecenter.go.kr).