The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS, President Lee Jeong-hwan), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, is producing concrete results, such as increased overseas sales for participating companies, through the 'Core Technology Customized Information Support Project' implemented in collaboration with the Gimhae Bioindustry Promotion Agency (GBIA, President Park Seong-ho).

In March 2021, the Korea Materials Research Institute and the Korea Institute for Biomedical Sciences (KIBS) signed a business agreement to foster new biomedical industries and advance specialized biomedical complexes. Since then, the two organizations have discussed joint research projects in biomedical materials technology and jointly supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This project marks the first concrete implementation of these initiatives.


The "Core Technology Customized Information Support Project" provides optimized solutions for individual companies, reflecting their varying environments and circumstances. Gimhae City has 7,982 companies primarily producing metal, machinery, automobile, and shipbuilding components. However, approximately 77.2% of these companies are micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), employing less than 10 employees. This reflects a vulnerable management structure that precludes direct production and R&D for future new industries. Through this project, the Korea Materials Research Institute is supporting these companies by matching specialized research personnel with technologies in demand and comprehensively utilizing various infrastructures (personnel, equipment, technology, etc.) to improve the core performance of each company's flagship products.

Currently, three companies have been selected as beneficiaries of this project, and support has been provided through computer simulations to ensure material and component standard compliance, develop defense components, and develop core automotive components. This support has yielded quantifiable results, including KRW 3.9 billion in new domestic and international sales and the development of two new market opportunities. Furthermore, new hiring and process improvements are underway. Furthermore, four companies are receiving an additional KRW 750 million from the Korea Materials Research Institute's own resources to address bottlenecks related to mold lifespan enhancements, welding robot system development, material recycling, and high-durability coating technology.

Kimhae City Director Park Jong-hwan said, “The inter-agency cooperation between the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology Promotion to support businesses is gradually becoming visible,” and added, “Based on this achievement, I hope that we can continue to not only resolve the difficulties faced by local businesses, but also secure international competitiveness by utilizing the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology’s international network.”

Lee Jeong-hwan, the president of the Korea Institute of Materials Science, said, “As corporate support is one of the main missions of a government-funded research institute, we will continue to work hard to transfer the internalized, unique technologies of the Korea Institute of Materials Science to companies and promote commercialization,” and added, “Gimhae City and the Promotion Agency are actively hoping to cooperate with our research institute, and we will contribute to establishing a virtuous cycle cooperation model between government-funded research institutes and local governments that will live up to their expectations.”