Purdue-CORIA named global industrial technology center in partnership with Korea

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University has been designated an overseas partnership institution for global technology cooperation by the Republic of Korea. The South Korea Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced this month that Purdue is one of only five U.S. institutions, and six worldwide, named as a formal academic partner to foster and promote joint research and development opportunities in critical technology sectors.

The other U.S. universities that will establish cooperation centers are Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Johns Hopkins University and Georgia Institute of Technology.

The initiative is part of the Korean government’s comprehensive strategy to advance technological research in semiconductors, biotechnology, batteries, future mobility, robotics, artificial intelligence and quantum technology with allied global partners.

“Purdue and Korea have a long history of collaborative research in these seminal technology fields, and by developing the Purdue-Korea Center of Operation and Research for Industry Advancement (CORIA), we will further advance R&D efforts on emerging and advanced technology capabilities to the mutual benefit of both the U.S. and Korea,” said Martin Byung-Guk Jun, a professor in Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Jun Laboratory for Advanced Multiscale Manufacturing.

Purdue expects to receive approximately $2.3 million from the government of Korea for the center. Jun said CORIA will receive additional funding for future projects.

Jun, who will serve as director of Purdue-CORIA, said the center will focus on three technology thrust areas critical for driving innovation and discovery: semiconductors, smart batteries and future mobility.

The news comes just days after South Korea semiconductor manufacturer SK hynix announced plans to invest nearly $4 billion to construct a state-of-the-art chip packaging facility in Purdue Research Park.

Jun said CORIA, in partnership with the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, will help build interinstitutional connections with resources and expertise not readily available in Korea to strengthen our collective technology and industry footprint.

“This interdisciplinary exchange will allow for unique perspectives and cross-pollination of thought among collaborators,” Jun said.

While the centers will be able to share resources, Jun said protecting the ownership and licensing of intellectual property developed by Purdue researchers is paramount.

“Discoveries by universities and other public research organizations are critical to innovation of technological challenges,” he said. “By protecting IP and allowing for commercialization, we’re able to further strengthen collaboration among academia, government and industry.”

Jun said CORIA will be housed at Purdue’s Manufacturing and Materials Research Laboratories, which offers state-of-the-art facilities for manufacturing and increased collaboration with industry, while also attracting top talent.

In 1990 Purdue first signed a faculty/mobility/research agreement with the Korea Institute of Energy and Resources. Since then, the university has forged 60 agreements with Korea.

Purdue has close to 700 Korean students and around 80 Korean faculty members. 

Center leadership:

Director: Martin Byung-Guk Jun, professor of mechanical engineering 

Executive committee:

• Byunghoo Jung, professor in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Inseok Hwang, professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Byung-Cheol Min, associate professor and university faculty scholar in the Department of Computer and Information Technology
• Chi Hwan Lee, the Leslie A. Geddes Associate Professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering 

Steering committee:

• Ganesh Subbarayan, the James G. Dwyer Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Atalla Institute for Advanced System Integration and Packaging
• Vilas Pol, professor in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering
• Sabine Brunswicker, professor of technology leadership and innovation at Purdue Polytechnic Institute

Jun, Jung and Hwang also serve on the steering committee. 

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.