麻豆传媒

News — The Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (President Seog-Hyeon Ryu, hereinafter referred to as KIMM) has signed international cooperation agreements with research institutions in Slovenia, a manufacturing technology powerhouse in Eastern Europe, and Germany, a leading country in advanced technologies in Europe. These agreements focus on virtual reliability prediction and carbon-free high-temperature heat pump technologies, while also expanding the foundation for international joint research on autonomous machining systems.

As part of KIMM’s global cooperation initiative “With KIMM, to the World,” this partnership aims to expand collaborative research in Eastern Europe and Europe and lay the groundwork for the global expansion of “K-Machine.”

On Thursday, April 3, President Ryu and a team of researchers from KIMM visited the University of Maribor^* (President: Prof. Dr. Zdravko Ka膷i膷) in Slovenia to sign a research cooperation agreement. Through this agreement, KIMM plans to integrate its self-developed “KIMM Cyber Lab^*” program with Maribor’s open-source structural analysis technology (PrePoMax). The collaboration aims to secure technologies for component design and mechanism implementation in virtual space and to explore AI-based design processes and other concrete research initiatives.
<sup>* University of Maribor (UM): Established in 1975, UM is Slovenia’s second-largest and second-oldest university, renowned for its excellence in education and research across various academic fields.
* KIMM Cyber Lab: Developed by KIMM, this open-source software program focuses on failure mode and mechanism implementation for virtual reliability assessments of mechanical components—unlike commercial software.</sup>

KIMM has a history of building partnerships with Eastern European countries, known for their strength in traditional machinery and manufacturing technologies. Following a 2022 agreement with Lithuania’s Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), KIMM also signed a five-party agreement in 2024 with the Czech Technical University (CTU) and both domestic and international companies. Additionally, it has pursued collaboration with the Czech Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Physics (FZU). The recent partnership with Slovenia is expected to further expand KIMM’s international cooperation network in the region.

On Friday, March 28, KIMM signed a bilateral agreement with the Institute of Low-Carbon Industrial Processes (Director: Prof. Dr. Uwe Riedel) at the German Aerospace Center (DLR^*) to collaborate on carbon reduction technologies, including heat pump systems. KIMM also held a joint workshop with researchers from DLR’s Institute, sharing current research on high-temperature heat pump systems and component technologies and discussing international joint research plans.
^{* DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt): Founded in 1969, DLR is a government research center in Germany focusing on aerospace, energy, transportation, defense, and security. Headquartered in Cologne, it operates 54 research facilities across 30 locations in Germany.}

On Tuesday, April 1, KIMM researchers visited the Institute of Production Engineering and Machine Tools (IFW), led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Berend Denkena, at Leibniz University Hannover^*, accompanied by representatives from Changwon City’s Future Strategy Department and other related stakeholders. They discussed collaboration in developing autonomous machining systems. KIMM and IFW have maintained ongoing research collaboration since they began working together in the field of machine tools in 1999. They now plan to strengthen joint efforts in autonomous machining system development, building on their existing work in smart machine tools and energy-saving technologies.
^{* Leibniz University Hannover & IFW: Established in 1831, Leibniz University Hannover is a prestigious German national university and has produced three Nobel laureates. IFW is a specialized institute under the university, known for its advanced technology in manufacturing equipment and machine tools. Berend Denkena, Director of IFW, also serves as President of CIRP (International Academy for Production Engineering) and is considered a leading authority in autonomous intelligent machining technologies.}

Additionally, President Ryu and KIMM researchers attended Hannover Messe 2025, the world's largest industrial technology trade fair, held in Hannover, Germany. There, they explored the latest trends in relevant research fields and expanded their global network. Since 1947, Hannover Messe has been held annually, featuring cutting-edge industrial technologies presented by manufacturers, tech providers, policymakers, and research institutions from around the world.

President Ryu remarked, “This international cooperation will further enhance KIMM’s mechanical technology capabilities and expand our global research network in Europe. We will continue to collaborate with leading research institutions worldwide to ensure the global competitiveness of K-Machine.”

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[Photograph] Photographs from research cooperation agreement ceremonies and collaborative activities in Germany and Slovenia

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The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) is a non-profit government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT. Since its foundation in 1976, KIMM is contributing to economic growth of the nation by performing R&D on key technologies in machinery and materials, conducting reliability test evaluation, and commercializing the developed products and technologies.