The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, marked its 17th anniversary with a focus on globalizing K-materials and outlined its path towards achieving ‘Materials Superpower Korea.’ On April 22, KIMS celebrated its milestone at its main building auditorium in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, with all its employees in attendance.

During the event, awards were bestowed upon individuals and organizations for their outstanding research endeavors and professional expertise, with accolades from the Chairperson of the National Research Council of Science and Technology and the President of the Korea Institute of Materials Science.

The Chairperson's Award from the National Research Council of Science and Technology was granted to principal researcher Young-min Kim of the Department of Magnesium in the Advanced Metals Division, and principal researcher Jong-man Lee of the Department of Research Planning in the Research Planning Coordination Division. Furthermore, the Outstanding Research Award was bestowed upon the Department of Functional Ceramics in the Ceramic Materials Division, the Industrial Property Rights Award to the Department of Nano-Bio Convergence in the Surface & Nano Materials Division, and the Academic Award to the Department of Aluminum in the Advanced Metals Division. Simultaneously, the Industrial Property Rights Outstanding Achievement Award honored Kyung-tae Kim, a principal researcher at the Department of 3D Printing Materials in the Powder Materials Division, while the Academic Outstanding Achievement Award recognized Young-kyun Kim, a senior researcher at the Department of Special Alloys in the Extreme Materials Institute. Additionally, a total of 6 teams and 33 individuals were selected as awardees during the event.

During its 17th-anniversary celebration, KIMS unveiled its 12th world-best technology, known as the ‘Nd-Reduced High-Performance Permanent Magnet Material Technology,’ Developed by Dr. Jung-goo Lee’s research team at the Department of Magnetic Materials in the Powder Materials Division, this technology represents a breakthrough in rare earth-reduced permanent magnet materials. It achieves performance comparable to commercial magnets (42M grade) while reducing the usage of neodymium (Nd), an expensive rare earth, by approximately 30%. Notably, this innovation was recognized as one of the top 100 National R&D Excellence Achievements in 2022.

Dr. Chul-jin Choi, the president of KIMS, emphasized, “For the globalization of K-materials, it is imperative to engage in exchanges with diverse international stakeholders, avoiding isolationism and narrow-mindedness." He further remarked, “To accomplish this goal, we must proactively communicate with other nations, open our research to a broader audience, and foster idea-sharing to broaden our research horizons."