In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, data is the bread and butter of industry. As the importance of data grows, the competitiveness of data centers, which serve as granaries, is also gaining attention. Amidst the growing need for more efficient data centers, domestic universities are taking on the challenge of overcoming the limitations of data centers.

The Hyper-Composable Data Center Research Center, led by UNIST (President Yong-Hoon Lee), has been selected for the 2021 University ICT Research Center (ITRC) Promotion Support Project. The center will secure up to 6 billion won in research funding over the next eight years to secure next-generation data center technology and cultivate talent.

The recent spread of a contactless culture due to COVID-19 and the expansion of various online services have led to a rapid increase in large-scale data centers. The problem is that these data centers consume massive amounts of electricity. This is why it is necessary to develop computing technology that increases data processing efficiency and consumes less power.

The Hyper-Composable Data Center Research Center challenges the limitations of traditional data centers by breaking down the barriers between data center resources and incorporating advanced data center computing technologies. Through research in each subfield—computing, memory, storage, and network/platform—the center develops technologies that enhance performance, flexibility, and maximize security.

The research center will be directed by Professor Baek Woong-ki of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence at UNIST. Nine researchers will participate in the center, including Professors Noh Sam-hyeok, Choi Young-ri, Moon Hyun-gon, Lim Young-bin, and Jeon Yu-seok from UNIST, Professor Heo Jae-hyeok from KAIST, Professor Nam Beom-seok from Sungkyunkwan University, and Professor Seo Ji-won from Hanyang University.

The center's lead institution is UNIST, with KAIST, Sungkyunkwan University, and Hanyang University also participating. The center plans to build partnerships with domestic and international companies, including Naver, Semifive, Glusys, and Intel, to foster talent development and engage in joint research.

Center Director Baek Woong-gi said, “This center will develop technology that will be a game changer that will change the paradigm of data centers,” and added, “We will optimize data center resources to reduce social costs and also play a role in improving environmental issues by reducing energy consumption.”

The University ICT Research Center Support Project aims to foster key research talent at the master's and doctoral levels who will drive national innovation and growth by supporting cutting-edge research projects in promising ICT technologies. Hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, this project is the largest of its kind among university ICT support programs, with eight new projects selected this year.