In his New Year's address, President Myung-ho Myeong of the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI, President Myung-ho Myeong), a government-funded research institute in the field of electrical technology under the National Research Council of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science and ICT, pledged to create tangible results by establishing a solid organizational culture and safety management foundation.

The Korea Electric Power Research Institute held an online ceremony on the 3rd and began its work for the new year of Im-in (壬寅年).

KERI President Myeong-ho Myeong said in his New Year’s address that day, “Despite the ongoing difficulties caused by COVID-19, our research institute’s achievements have been greatly recognized, and we have achieved a significant amount of technology royalty income, close to 10 billion won.” He added, “The research sector has established new centers or changed their names so that they can perform practical roles based on clearer goals, and the testing and certification sector has significantly improved work efficiency by changing from a function-centered to a regional-centered organization. In addition, the administrative sector has expanded the functions of the Strategic Policy Headquarters so that we can effectively respond to various government and local government cooperation projects that are gradually expanding.”

Also, “A strong organizational culture allows all employees to faithfully carry out their assigned duties with a sense of responsibility under the awareness that they are the owners of KERI, and upward innovation, which I have consistently mentioned since my inauguration speech, is important.”o; said.

In addition, the impact felt by both companies and the public was emphasized. Corporate impact refers to setting a target company from the outset and conducting research with a clear direction for where the research will be applied. Public impact refers to shifting the focus of disseminating results from a public perspective, such as by demonstrating how the researcher's technology will benefit the people's daily lives. Furthermore, Director Myung emphasized the institute's commitment to safety management and urged all employees and related companies to adhere to safety and health management policies and take every precaution to prevent various safety accidents.

President Myeong-Ho Myeong said, “We are currently in an era of transition to the 4th Industrial Revolution and an era of energy transition to achieve carbon neutrality, which is a challenge for humanity.” He added, “In the future, as the ‘electrified world’ unfolds where electricity becomes even more central to our daily lives, we will have great opportunities.”

Meanwhile, at the ceremony, an awards ceremony was held to recognize the teams that achieved the best results in 2020. The prestigious KERI Grand Prize in the "Team" category went to the "Cancer Treatment Linear Accelerator and Magnetron Development Team," which achieved the localization of radiation cancer treatment technology, previously dependent on imports. In the 'Individual' category, Senior Researcher Jeong-Hyeon Moon, who played a major role in not only achieving technological independence in 'SiC power semiconductors for electric vehicles' but also securing price competitiveness and establishing a foundation for mass production, received the 'KERI Person of the Year Award.'

The grand prize winners were the High Energy Density Flexible Battery Technology Development Team, the 500kV Bukdangjin-Godeok HVDC TPCA Implementation Team, and the Regional Linkage KERI Brand Value Enhancement Team. The Excellence Awards went to the Semiconductor Transformer Development Team, the HVDC Overhead Power Transmission Design and Operation Research and Development Team, the IE4 Class Motor Design Technology Development Team, the Test Result Analysis System Development Team, and the Financial Support Expansion Team for Mid- to Long-Term Institutional Power Generation Construction.