A major collaboration to secure the future competitiveness of Korea's materials industry has begun in earnest.

The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS, President Choi Cheol-jin) and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) joined hands to establish the 'KIMS-SHI Materials Innovation Research Center' and held a plaque ceremony at the Korea Institute of Materials Science's headquarters in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do on November 28.

This center is expected to become a forward base for securing key technologies in national strategic industries, such as KC-2C LNG cargo hold materials, ultra-low temperature environment materials, and nuclear energy materials.

The KC-2C LNG cargo hold, independently developed by Samsung Heavy Industries, is a Korean-style liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage system and is a cutting-edge technology with global competitiveness.

Because LNG is stored at extremely low temperatures of minus 163 degrees Celsius, ordinary metals would easily break, shrink, or crack.

Therefore, the cargo hold is not a simple tank, but a composite structure combining insulation, membranes, support structures, leak detection systems, and protective layers.

In particular, a secondary barrier is essential in case the primary barrier is damaged, and high-performance materials that can withstand the ship's impact, waves, and twisting are required.

This center The establishment is of great significance in ensuring the localization and reliability of materials that can overcome these extreme environments.

Since signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on technical cooperation in February, the two organizations have held several working-level meetings to establish research topics and continue joint research.

With the establishment of this center, we will establish a multifaceted cooperative system that goes beyond simple cooperation, including personnel exchange, joint research, and technology exchange.

Going forward, the center will pursue cooperation on KC-2C LNG cargo hold materials, leading research in ultra-low temperature fields such as liquefied hydrogen, improving nuclear material technology, linking with the SMR (small modular reactor) 3D printing production support center, and developing 3DP materials for ships.

Through this, we plan to accelerate the localization of materials, ensure reliability, and develop core components for future energy sources.

KIMS President Choi Cheol-jin emphasized, “The establishment of this center is an opportunity to lead innovation in response to the rapidly changing shipping industry environment driven by demands for decarbonization,” and “It will serve as a foundation for securing the core competitiveness of Korea’s future industries and establishing material sovereignty.”