South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT opened an "AI Semiconductor Innovation Research Institute" at Hanyang University and will move to train key master's and PhD-level talent in AI semiconductors.

The ministry, together with the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP), held an opening ceremony on Sept. 17 at Hanyang University's IT.BT building.

The institute is an industry-academia-linked talent development project for leading AI semiconductor technologies, promoted as part of a government policy task titled "securing leading technologies and talent for a super-gap AI edge". The government selected Hanyang University and Seoul National University this year, following Yonsei University and Sungkyunkwan University last year.

Based on industry-academia cooperation involving large and mid-sized companies, small firms, fabless companies and universities, the institute will run industry-tailored research and education programs. Starting this year, the participation method was expanded to allow companies to join as joint R&D institutions, and deriving research projects based on neural processing units (NPUs) was made mandatory.

Hanyang University's institute will push education and research on AI algorithms and semiconductor design, centered on physical AI fields such as on-device AI and robots and mobility. The institute set up six research centers covering automated design of AI semiconductor devices and circuits, processing-in-memory (PIM) system design, smart displays, internet of things (IoT) robot NPUs, intelligent chiplet design, and AI algorithms.

Each center will carry out industry-academia cooperation research based on real research topics, with DB HiTek, SK Hynix, Samsung Display, LG Electronics, Dinotisia and Ainut and others participating as joint and partner institutions, alongside university researchers, company employees and master's and PhD students.

Hanyang University's institute will receive government support averaging 2 billion won a year for up to 6 years. In the first year, 1 billion won will be provided. The institute will train at least 110 master's and PhD-level talents, starting with 10 this year and adding 20 each year, and will run specialised technical training and company dispatch programmes.

Park Tae-wan (박태완), director general for information and communications industry policy at the ministry, said, "To lead next-generation AI semiconductor technology, it is important for companies and universities to build close partnerships and create an industry-academia cooperation ecosystem." He added, "We will support Hanyang University's AI Semiconductor Innovation Research Institute so it can establish itself as a hub leading advanced technology development and training key talent."