The government has selected four new university-affiliated national research labs to lead world-class research, pledging up to 100 billion won per lab over 10 years.
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Ministry of Education announced the results of the new selection for the 2026 National Research Lab (NRL 2.0) program, saying they will provide each lab with 10 billion won annually for up to 10 years starting on the first day of next month. As this year is the first year, 5 billion won, equivalent to six months, will be provided first.
The national lab program is a project jointly pursued by the two ministries since last year to foster university-affiliated research institutes capable of conducting world-first and world-best basic research. The goal is to concentrate support on outstanding research personnel and infrastructure to create sustainable large-scale convergence research hubs.
The four labs selected this year are Seoul National University's "Human-Centered Physical AI Robotics Research Institute," Sungkyunkwan University's "Sungkyun Intelligent Energy Solution National Research Lab," Changwon National University's "SMR² Platform National Research Lab," and Chungnam National University's "Theranostics Convergence National Research Lab."
Starting this year, the government has operated two separate tracks: "Type 1," a nationwide competition, and "Type 2," open only to regional universities. Seoul National University and Sungkyunkwan University were selected in Type 1, while Changwon National University and Chungnam National University were selected in Type 2.
Seoul National University's lab will develop physical AI-based robot technology that mimics human sensory and motor nervous systems, pursuing hyper-personalized robot services and manufacturing innovation. Sungkyunkwan University's lab will develop intelligent energy solutions that combine high-efficiency solar cells and energy storage technology with AI and digital twins to help supply power to AI data centers.
Changwon National University's lab will develop core materials and system integration technology for small modular reactors (SMR) and build an AI-based autonomous operation platform. Chungnam National University's lab will focus on developing theranostics core technology that performs diagnosis and treatment simultaneously for intractable cancers, infectious diseases, and degenerative brain diseases.
"We will continue to provide support so that the selected national labs can grow into world-class research institutes from a long-term perspective and spread as leading models for university research in Korea," said Kim Sung-soo, head of MSIT's R&D Policy Bureau. Lee Hae-sook, head of the Education Ministry's Higher and Lifelong Education Policy Bureau, said, "We will actively support, together with MSIT, so that national labs can dramatically transform the university R&D ecosystem and grow into world-class research hubs that also contribute to regional development."
