Leading micro-robotics research

A researcher conducts a test on a pig to establish the safety of an intravascular micro-robot created by the Robot Research Initiative at Chonnam National University in Gwangju.
/ Courtesy of Chonnam National University

Chonnam National University prods students to start businesses

Chonnam National University
President Jee Byung-moon

By Chung Hyun-chae

GWANGJU ― Chonnam National University is stepping up efforts to maintain its lead in R&D of micro-robots for medical use and hydrogen fuel cell technology for automobiles.

These efforts are part of the university's strategy of boosting academic-industrial cooperation and encouraging students and faculties to create their own businesses.

"I believe our university's robotics research, especially for micro-robots, has become world-class," Jee Byung-moon, president of the Gwangju-based national university, told The Korea Times. "We've developed technologies in this area and we have a competitive edge in commercializing them."

He said that the university's R&D center, Robot Research Initiative, created the world's first colonoscopy robot in 2001 and the world's first intravascular micro-robot for the treatment of blood vessel-related diseases in 2010.

In March 2015, the center developed an active capsule endoscope and has signed a 1 billion won contract to transfer the technology to Woo Young Medical, a medical device manufacturer. Under the contact, the center will receive 2 percent of endoscope sales as a licensing fee.

Woo Young has established a subsidiary, ARESMED, to commercialize the endoscope. Doctors can control and move the endoscope, if commercialized, inside a patient's body by using a joystick.

"We will work together with ARESMED to commercialize the technology and plan to receive a medical certificate by 2017," Jee said.

If the university implements its plans successfully, he added, robot-related sales are expected to reach 5 trillion won by 2027.

Chonnam National University founded its own tech company in 2011 to commercialize technologies developed by its students, faculty and its research centers. The company now has 13 subsidiaries and plans to open five more this year.

The university took the initiative to establish the Gwangju Technology Holding Company this year in cooperation with other universities in Gwangju, the city government and local companies.

The university is also taking the lead in hydrogen fuel cell technology, which is regarded as a new growth engine because the new energy source produces no air pollution.

In 2009, the university opened the Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Institute to conduct research on converting hydrogen to electricity.

It also hosted the World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2014 at the Kimdaejung Convention Center in Gwangju, gathering more than 500 scientists and scholars.
Last year, the Gwangju municipality built the Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, a government project to provide support for startups in collaboration with major conglomerates.

Hyundai Motor, the main sponsor for the project, wants to work closely with the center to develop a hydrogen fuel cell car.

"As Hyundai is interested in making hydrogen-powered cars, I hope our university's research center will cooperate with the automaker in developing fuel cell technology," Jee said.

Promoting entrepreneurship

"We are trying to promote entrepreneurship among students by encouraging them to put their ideas into practice and launch their own startups without fear of failure,"
Jee said.

Launched in 1999, the Chonnam National University Business Incubator has helped undergraduates, graduate students and professors launch their own businesses.

The business incubator offers opportunities for undergraduate students to experience starting a business, while providing space for those with their own business plans or technology.

"In order to reduce risks and to raise the success rate, we set up a university brand shop last year to promote and sell products devised by students and professors," Jee said.

Thanks to the school's strong support, many students have made remarkable accomplishments.

For example, Lee Su-chang, a computer science major who graduated from the university in 2002, launched Amazingsoft, a web analysis company that generated 3.5 billion won in sales in 2015. Naver, the nation's largest web portal, acquired the company in 2013 for 10 billion won.

Humanities students have also seen success. Park Ji-min, a philosophy major who graduated in 2014, opened HERZ fab cafe, a multiplex cultural space located in Gwangju, which generated 300 million won in sales in 2015.

The university won the 2015 AABI Awards from the Asian Association of Business Incubation (AABI) in recognition of its efforts to assist school members' startups.
It was the second time that a local university received such an award, after the Korea Advanced Institute of Science Technology (KAIST) did so in 2007.

Focusing on research

In addition to giving wholehearted support for technology development, Chonnam National University has also tried to enhance research capabilities in both quality and quantity.

"Most professors think that only excruciating efforts for self-reform will enable the university to revive its past glory of being one of the nation's top three regional universities," Jee said.

Theses written by the university's professors and cited by international science journals totaled 1,757 in 2014, up from 1,553 in 2012 and 1,646 in 2013.

The president said that the university ranked second in the number of thesis citations among 41 national universities across the nation.

"To strengthen our university's research capacity this year, I will allow professors to devote themselves to conducting research exclusively by freeing them from the burden of teaching students," Jee added.