Science minister discusses strengthening of research ties with U.S. tech institutions

SEOUL, Sept. 24 (Yonhap) -- Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon has held meetings with leading U.S. technology institutions to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in cutting-edge sectors, his office said Wednesday.

The meetings were held on the sidelines of Bae's visit to New York, as he accompanied President Lee Jae Myung at the 80th U.N. General Assembly.

Bae visited IBM's New York-based research center to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for South Korean research institutions and the U.S. company to promote exchanges on quantum computing infrastructure and foster experts in the field.

The minister also visited Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), operated by the U.S. Department of Energy, to discuss potential cooperation on the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) project.

"As it is crucial to cooperate with the United States, the leading player in the quantum science technology sector, the visit to the U.S. had some progress as we established mutually beneficial cooperative ties among IBM and South Korea's research institutes," Bae said in a release.

"Starting with the EIC project with BNL, which has been innovating basic research based on artificial intelligence and quantum technologies, we discussed ways to expand cooperation to cover other cutting-edge industries," he added.

colin@yna.co.kr
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