Advances in Artificial Intelligence Transform Materials Science at Daejeon Forum
Advances in AI and data technologies are transforming the very way researchers conduct experiments and discover new materials,
said Dr. Seokmin Shin, President of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT).
Artificial intelligence is altering scientific research by moving beyond simple data analysis to propose experimental conditions, learn from results, and design subsequent tests. To examine this shift, KRICT hosted the KRICT R&D Forum focusing on materials data, artificial intelligence, and self-driving laboratories on September 29. Held at Didimdol Plaza on KRICT’s main campus in Daejeon, the event formed part of the institution’s Global Forum Series celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The gathering brought together international experts from chemistry and materials science to discuss automated research, AI-driven discovery, and materials data standardization. Speakers represented institutions including Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany, the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, Seoul National University, the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan, and Tsinghua University in China.
Morning Sessions Explore Global Research Strategies
Prof. Hyungjun Kim of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology chaired the morning session, which opened with a presentation by Prof. Christoph J. Brabec of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg on discovering design principles for emerging semiconductors and applications.
Prof. Sang Soo Han of Seoul National University followed with a presentation on self-driving laboratories for materials science and chemistry. Dr. Giovanni Pizzi of the Paul Scherrer Institute then addressed curated materials data on Materials Cloud and the transition to self-driving laboratories from an open digital-infrastructure perspective.
Afternoon Discussions Tackle Data Standardization and Energy Materials
Prof. Yonghyuk Lee of Dongguk University chaired the afternoon discussions, which began with Dr. Woojin Choi of KRICT presenting on materials data standardization for AI-ready data in Korea.
Dr. Yibin Xu of the National Institute for Materials Science spoke on evolving data infrastructures for battery materials research. Concluding the formal presentations, Prof. Xiaonan Wang of Tsinghua University discussed the transition from foundation models to AI agents for closed-loop discovery across energy materials and systems.
Established in 1976 as a government-funded non-profit institute, KRICT aims to use these international collaborations and data-driven methods to strengthen its ongoing research and development capabilities in chemical technology, materials science, and environmental engineering.
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