Shin Dong-bin Says, "Do Not Fear Failure—Take on Challenges" as Lotte-KAIST R&D Center Is Completed

[Financial News] Shin Dong-bin, chairman of Lotte Group, is accelerating efforts to secure future technologies by strengthening industry-academia cooperation with KAIST.
According to Lotte on the 13th, Shin Dong-bin attended the completion ceremony for the Lotte x KAIST R&D Center held on the 11th at KAIST’s main campus in Daejeon. At the ceremony, KAIST presented Shin with a plaque of appreciation for his support in developing research infrastructure and expanding industry-academia cooperation.
The Lotte x KAIST R&D Center is an industry-academia cooperation hub for researching sustainability-related technologies, including climate change and carbon neutrality. It was established with a KRW 10 billion construction donation from Lotte and KAIST’s own funds.
The center has one basement level and six above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 4,298 square meters. By combining KAIST’s research capabilities with Lotte’s industrial experience, it will cover the entire process from basic research and experimentation to prototype development and technology commercialization.
Its main research areas include bio-sustainability; carbon-neutral energy, materials, and processes; and advanced food and healthcare. Based on these areas, the center will conduct research on systems metabolic engineering, biofuels and bioplastics, green hydrogen, renewable energy, and batteries. Artificial intelligence (AI) will be used throughout the research process.
Lotte and KAIST will also pursue joint research on strategic technologies for Lotte affiliates, including semiconductor materials, sustainable energy, and bio and healthcare. The companies plan to connect the technologies developed through the research to the group’s businesses in the future.
Shin Dong-bin said, "I hope the R&D Center will establish itself as a hub for industry-academia cooperation that creates greater possibilities beyond the boundaries between universities and companies. Lotte will stand alongside the faculty and students as a reliable partner so that they can conduct research freely and take on challenges without fearing failure."
Meanwhile, Lotte has continued its cooperation with KAIST through technology transfers and personnel exchanges, beginning with commissioned master’s and doctoral programs in 2012. In 2022, it established the Lotte Chemical-KAIST Carbon Neutrality Research Center to launch joint research in carbon neutrality in earnest. To date, the partnership has carried out eight research projects in related fields and secured 15 patents.
[email protected] Jang Yu-ha Reporter