The Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT) opened the Korea-Germany Supply Chain Technology Cooperation Center at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Dresden, Germany, on Feb. 20 to help stabilize global supply chains in key industries.
The opening ceremony followed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by KEIT and the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in September to establish a global technological cooperation network.
KEIT plans to collaborate with local colleges, universities and research institutes through the Korea-Germany Supply Chain Technology Cooperation Center. In particular, KEIT will plan international joint R&D projects between Korea and Germany by identifying cooperation needs in high-tech and key industries and support partner matching for dealing with industrial technology R&D challenges and early commercialization. The center will also provide demonstration support and consulting to help Korean SMEs make a foray into the European market and develop sales channels and actively support Korean SMEs in quickly adopting technologies from top overseas institutions such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS to promote R&D commercialization.
“Through the Korea-Germany Supply Chain Technology Cooperation Center, we will identify and support international joint research projects that colleges, universities, research institutes, and global companies with advanced technologies can participate in,” said Jeon Yoon-jong, director of KEIT. “We will strengthen technological cooperation between Korea and Germany in high-tech and key industries and spare no effort to support Korean companies’ technological innovation.”