Global Open and Collaborative Research We collaborate with domestic and international universities, companies, and research institutions on joint research projects.

• Partnership with Stanford Center at Incheon Global Campus (SCIGC) for Education and Research Collaboration

  In March 2025, the Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Stanford Center at the Incheon Global Campus (SCIGC) to promote joint research and talent development for the establishment and operation of a global AI data center. Through this partnership, KENTECH and SCIGC will collaborate on developing and operating educational programs related to global AI data centers, conducting research and technology development for power grid optimization, and running customized talent development programs. They also plan to initiate industry-academia joint research projects. By strengthening cooperation with SCIGC, KENTECH aims to lead R&D and education in global energy innovation and digital transformation. The university also seeks to expand collaboration with industry and international partners, contributing to the development of a sustainable, carbon-neutral AI data center model.

  

• Partnership with UCLA Samueli School of Engineering

  In March 2025, KENTECH signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, a world-renowned institution for engineering education and research, to promote joint research, education, personnel exchange, and the co-hosting of academic events. Through this partnership, the two institutions aim to drive educational innovation by developing joint educational programs and to enhance the international competitiveness of their research personnel by expanding opportunities for graduate students to participate in overseas education and training programs during the academic year and summer sessions. Furthermore, KENTECH seeks to elevate its global standing and strengthen its brand value by activating technology commercialization and policy research based on industry-academia-government collaboration.

  

• Partnership with U.S.-Based Deep Fission for Collaboration in Nuclear Energy Initiatives

  Deep Fission is a U.S. nuclear energy startup co-founded by world-renowned physicist Professor Richard Muller. The company offers innovative solutions that address one of the most pressing challenges in the industry today—cost reduction. KENTECH has become the first Korean university to partner with a U.S. nuclear energy company, aiming to advance and implement cutting-edge nuclear technologies in both the Korean and global energy markets. In particular, through this collaboration with Deep Fission, KENTECH plans to leverage the company’s advanced technological approach, which involves the installation of small modular reactors (SMRs) at a depth of 1.6 kilometers underground—an innovation designed to enhance both safety and cost-efficiency. The partnership will also focus on research and development for supplying power to data centers across Korea in the future.

  

• Partnership with the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina

  The Darla Moore School of Business (DMSB) at the University of South Carolina, founded in 1919, is widely acclaimed for its excellence in international business education. The school has maintained a longstanding commitment to cultivating future global leaders through a distinctive integration of innovative academic instruction and practical experience. Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in December 2024, KENTECH and DMSB intend to leverage their respective areas of expertise—KENTECH’s specialization in energy technology and policy, and DMSB’s distinguished capabilities in international business—to engage in collaborative research and develop joint educational programs focused on sustainable energy technologies and global energy policy. Furthermore, the two institutions will actively promote student exchange programs to enhance KENTECH students’ knowledge of international energy markets and emerging technologies, thereby supporting their development as globally competent professionals.

  

• Partnership with Copenhagen Energy Islands (CEI) for Collaboration in Offshore Energy Hubs, HVDC, and PtX

  In November 2024, KENTECH signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Copenhagen Energy Islands (CEI) to collaborate in the areas of offshore energy hubs, subsea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission, and Power-to-X (PtX) technologies. CEI is an offshore energy hub development initiative led by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), the world’s largest renewable energy investment firm headquartered in Denmark. Based on this agreement, KENTECH plans to engage in joint research during the early development stages of offshore energy hubs and subsea HVDC and PtX systems currently being pursued in Korea. Through this collaboration, the two parties aim to refine the concepts of offshore energy hubs, HVDC, and PtX, and to assess their technical and economic feasibility. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to contribute to building key infrastructure that will support a stable and carbon-free power supply for Korea’s high-tech industries.

  

• Dispatch of Research Personnel to France as ITER Project Associates (IPA)

  ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is a large-scale international joint research and development project currently underway in France, aiming to commercialize nuclear fusion energy. The project brings together seven member entities: Korea, the European Union, the United States, Japan, China, Russia, and India.

  In June 2024, under the leadership of Professor Byungsu Lim’s research team, KENTECH signed a cooperation agreement with the ITER Organization. Through this agreement, the two parties committed to pursuing collaborative research in fusion technology, facilitating the exchange of master's and doctoral-level talent in the field of nuclear fusion, and dispatching specialized personnel through the ITER Project Associate (IPA) program. Remarkably, within just three months of the agreement, KENTECH successfully dispatched its first researcher, marking a meaningful first step toward substantive cooperation between the two institutions. Moving forward, KENTECH aims to strengthen its competitiveness in the field of nuclear fusion technology both domestically and internationally through continued collaboration with ITER, and to establish itself as a leading institution in the development of future energy technologies.