Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) has been selected as the lead institution for a major national project worth 75 billion won, and is expected to emerge as a key hub leading AI-based science and technology research at universities nationwide through 2034.

GIST was finalized today (16th) as the lead institution for the infrastructure construction division of the 'AI-based University Science and Technology Innovation Project' by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea. This project aims to foster an AI research ecosystem centered on universities, solve science and technology challenges, and strengthen national research competitiveness.

GIST, led by Kim Jong-won, director of the Supercomputing Center, will receive a total of 75 billion won in government support over 8 years through 2034 through the project 'Construction of AI-based University Science and Technology Innovation Central Hub Infrastructure for Integrating AI and Science and Technology.' Based on this, GIST plans to build and operate state-of-the-art AI research infrastructure that researchers from universities across the country can jointly utilize.

[Photo=Yonhapnews]

Specifically, GIST will build an 'HPC-AI shared infrastructure' that combines high-performance computing (HPC) and AI. Additionally, GIST will develop 'K-ImagineRI,' an integrated research platform that supports the entire research process from planning to outcome sharing, helping university researchers conduct AI-based research efficiently.

Furthermore, GIST will operate 'Dream-AI,' a national collaborative AI supercomputing platform, and oversee AI research collaborative services on a nationwide scale. This is expected to have broad ripple effects that enhance research capacity not limited to specific institutions, but across universities in the entire nation.

GIST's selection as the lead institution will be an important turning point in establishing a national AI research ecosystem and solving science and technology challenges. Through the shared-use infrastructure and platforms to be built over the next 8 years, the competitiveness of AI-based science and technology research at Korean universities is expected to make a significant leap, ultimately contributing greatly to national innovative growth.