The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Resources signed an agreement with Seoul National University (SNU) for the university to join the M.AX Alliance project. They will work together to create AI models for humanoid robots, self-driving cars, and AI factories.
The M.AX Alliance was launched in September by the ministry and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It includes over 1,000 participants, such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, Rainbow Robotics, etc.
This project aims to bring together industry, universities, and research groups to speed up the development and use of advanced AI technologies in areas like manufacturing and biology. The focus will be on joint research and large projects to showcase these technologies.
Through the alliance, the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Resources want to improve manufacturing and support new industries, like humanoid robotics. Their goal is to create 100 trillion won (USD 67.7 billion) in value by 2030 and make Korea a global leader in AI-driven manufacturing industry.
Under the agreement, the university will take part in major parts of the project, focusing on developing AI models, using manufacturing data, and training specialized talent.
SNU will work with manufacturing companies in the alliance to help develop AI models for humanoid robots, self-driving cars, and AI-powered factories.
To support this, the ministry has given the university 1.19 billion won in research funding for these three areas, which will last until 2029.
Executive Statement
According to Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, when the world-class manufacturing capabilities of M.AX member companies meet the creative research prowess and talented workforce of Seoul National University, achieving Korea’s goal of becoming a global leader in advanced manufacturing won’t be a distant future.