German lightweight technology officials and businesspeople visited the Ansan branch of the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) to explore cooperation in electric vehicle charging and power equipment testing and certification, and it is expected that international cooperation between Germany, a powerhouse in science and technology, and KERI will be strengthened in the future.

The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI, Acting President Nam-Kyun Kim) invited officials from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) to its Ansan branch on the 29th to explore ways for joint research and international cooperation between Korea and Germany.

The meeting was attended by BMWK’s Werner Loscheider, a manager, German lightweight materials companies, and representatives of the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI, President Martin Hankelmann).

All of them are experts in science, technology, and key national industries, gathered in Korea as part of the "Korea-Germany Lightweight Technology Business Delegation." Their visit to the institute consisted of a briefing on their respective businesses and a tour of the KERI laboratory.

The delegation showed particular interest in the recently concluded "Charin Electric Vehicle International Testival," an event held at the institute. The Testival brings together leading domestic and international electric vehicle manufacturers and charger manufacturers to examine technical issues arising from rapid electric vehicle charging and establish a foundation for leading international standards. This year, a total of 17 companies, including Audi, Volkswagen, BMW, and Hyundai Motors, participated and achieved excellent results with the help of KERI's excellent testing and certification infrastructure and professional personnel.

The tour also included a world-class power equipment testing and certification facility at KERI. KERI is an internationally accredited testing and certification organization that tests various power equipment that make up the transmission and distribution network, such as circuit breakers, switches, transformers, and switches, under harsh conditions and issues performance reports and certificates based on the results.

BMWK Manager Werner Loscheider said, “I have heard a lot about KERI and am very happy to have this opportunity to come to Korea and visit the research center. I will do my best to find German companies and organizations that can cooperate with KERI to achieve good results.”

KERI Acting Director Kim Nam-gyun also expressed his expectations, saying, “International cooperation with Germany, a science and technology powerhouse, is an opportunity for the institute to grow to the next level,” and “I hope that more cooperation in related technologies will take place as high performance and lightweighting are achieved in many industrial fields.”