The National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST) announced on the 9th that it held the fourth Strategic Technology Exchange of 2026 at the headquarters of ALUX on the 8th.
The Strategic Technology Exchange (BDX, Bridge & Deepdive X) is a strategy-based, problem-solving technology cooperation platform that identifies the business models and stage-by-stage technology needs of leading private companies and matches them with the technologies and research capabilities of government-funded research institutes.
The exchange connected the research achievements of government-funded research institutes with the technology needs of ALUX, which is expanding into public and defense applications based on AI-powered autonomous flight technology, next-generation core drone technologies, and manufacturing and mass-production capabilities.
Participants discussed cooperation opportunities and commercialization pathways centered on core drone technology areas, including autonomous flight, drone operation solutions, lightweight composite materials, high-strength hybrid materials and components, and recycled-material-based carbon composites.
Cha Ji-hoon, director of the Autonomous Flight Research Lab at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), introduced autonomous flight drone (UAV, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and counter-drone (C-UAS, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System) technologies. Jung Yong-chae, head of the RAMP Convergence Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), presented manufacturing technology for high-performance carbon fiber-based lightweight composite materials for urban air mobility (UAM).
Kim Young-min, a center director at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), introduced a platform technology for high-strength, multifunctional hybrid materials and components. Choi Doo-young, a principal researcher at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), presented manufacturing technology for strength-improved recycled-material carbon composites and a hybrid bonding and fastening platform.
ALUX plans to continue cooperation aimed at advancing core technologies, localizing components, and expanding into public and defense applications by linking its drone manufacturing and mass-production capabilities and on-the-ground commercialization technology needs with the research achievements of government-funded research institutes.
Starting with this exchange, NST plans to pursue customized technology matching that reflects ALUX's development strategy and commercialization direction, and to form working groups (WG) by corporate need to review in detail technology verification, technology transfer, and linkage with government R&D and proof-of-concept (PoC) programs.
"We will actively support the creation of research achievements that the public can tangibly experience, such as drone localization and self-reliance, and promote their commercialization," NST Chairman Kim Young-shik said.
