The Korea Institute of Materials Science(KIMS), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT won the grand prize in the‘Metaverse’category at the‘9th SNS of the Year’hosted by the Korea Association for Social Contents Development.

KIMS operates various social media channels, including blogs, posts, Instagram, and YouTube, actively utilizing them for online self-promotion.‘META KIMS,’the institutional metaverse, is accessible online to the entire population, including youth and businessmen from other regions in addition to the Gyeongnam area where KIMS is located. This enables people to virtually visit KIMS from afar. What makes it unique is that the metaverse was solely created by KIMS, without any cost for its construction. The Department of External Affairs and Public Relations is in charge of this initiative, and they are currently implementing it in a one-stop manner from production to operation, quickly incorporating user feedback received through‘META KIMS.’

‘META KIMS’is divided into three sectors(Play Zone/R&D Zone/Space for Everyone). The Play Zone provides cultural content on materials science for the general public, the R&D Zone offers research and content for entrepreneurs and individuals specialized in specific areas, and the Space for Everyone provides various meeting and relaxation spaces that users can freely utilize. This year, KIMS received a positive response from users by hosting a‘Public META KIMS Treasure Hunt Event,’allowing many people to visit‘META KIMS’and fully enjoy and utilize it.

Dr. Jung-hwan Lee, the president of KIMS, said,“The Metaverse is a space that can increase communication points with the public, aligning with the on-tact trend that has become more active after the pandemic.” He added, "Through META KIMS, we hope to provide the general public with interesting and informative insights into materials science, fostering ongoing open communication with them.”

The‘SNS of the Year,’ celebrating its 9th anniversary this year, is an event hosted by the Korea Association for Social Contents Development and sponsored by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korean Association for Influencers. Established in 2015, the event aims to evaluate the utilization status of each SNS medium (blog, Facebook, Instagram, KakaoTalk, YouTube, etc.), identifying and publicizing companies and organizations that actively communicate with customers and the public. Its goal is to establish a culture of correct SNS utilization. Every year, excellent organizations are selected through a credible review, contributing to the creation of a culture of active SNS communication.