The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), an institute under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science and ICT, has signed memorandum of understandings with representative research institutes in Germany and Lithuania.
On May 9, KIMM signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) focusing on the field of laser light sources with the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC) in Lithuania, a country renowned for its original mechanical technologies.
The FTMC is the largest national research institute in Lithuania, founded by the merger of research institutes in the fields of physics, chemistry, and semiconductor physics. The center’s reputation prompted the KIMM Department of Laser & Electron Beam Technologies to pursue joint research efforts in the field of laser light sources. Of Lithuania’s machine industry sectors, its laser sector is one of the most competitive in the world.
After signing the MoU, the KIMM delegation, including president Park Sang-jin, visited the Lithuanian Ministry of the Economy and Innovation to discuss future cooperation with Vice Minister Jovita Neliupšienė.
The vice minister said the Lithuanian government hopes to facilitate more cooperation with KIMM in the field of advanced manufacturing equipment.
With the MOU with the FTMC, KIMM has established a foothold for research cooperation with three Baltic countries, which boast excellent original mechanical technology.
In addition, the KIMM delegation visited the Institute of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering at Riga Technical University (MMI RTU) and the Institute of Solid State Physics at the University of Latvia (ISP UL). During these visits, they discussed plans for cooperation in KIMM’s main research areas, including advanced production equipment and nanotechnology.
In 2018, KIMM signed an agreement with the Czech Technical University in Prague and the HiLASE Center, the laser research center at the Czech Academy of Sciences. By expanding the international cooperation network to Lithuania and Latvia, KIMM has broadened the foundation for cooperation with Baltic States, strong players in basic mechanical technology research.
Prior to the visits in Lithuania and Latvia, KIMM signed agreements with two German research institutes. It signed a memorandum of understanding with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute of Laser Technology (Fraunhofer ILT) on May 5 (local time), with the goal of identifying possible joint research topics for further future joint researches. On May 6, it signed another memorandum of understanding with the Institute of Production Engineering and Machine Tools (IFW) at Leibniz University of Hannover for cooperation in the areas of advanced manufacturing equipment.
Over the past years, KIMM has strengthened cooperation with Germany, a powerhouse in traditional machine technology, in the fields of machine tools and lasers. In 2018, the Hanover Laser Center (LZH) was designated as a reference institution for overseas joint research by KIMM. In the following year, a research memorandum of understanding was signed, and continuing cooperation efforts have been made in cutting-edge laser processing technology.