The government plans to establish an AI joint research hub in Europe. This will be the second overseas hub following the "Global AI Frontier Lab," which opened in New York, United States, in 2024. The initiative aims to collaborate with European research institutions on developing next-generation AI and deepen understanding of local safety standards, thereby supporting domestic companies' expansion into Europe.
According to a business explanation document for the "Global AI Joint Research Lab" submitted by the Democratic Party of Korea's Lee Jeong-heon office to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry and IITP (Korea Information Technology Planning & Evaluation Institute) are moving forward with establishing a joint research lab in Europe next year. To this end, they have allocated a budget of approximately 3 billion won and are coordinating with local European research institutions.
The joint research lab will serve as a hub for collaborating with major AI research institutions across key European countries to study next-generation AI technologies and verify ethics and safety. The goal is to complement the limitations of individual nations through international cooperation in AI research that requires large-scale resources such as GPUs (graphics processing units) and training data.
Europe is recognized as a collaborative partner possessing scientific and technological data, bio-data, computing resources, and research personnel. France hosts the AI startup Mistral, while ETH Zurich in Switzerland holds capabilities in AI algorithm research. Germany, based on sustained support for its six national AI hubs, is advancing the AI transformation of key industries such as automobiles and chemicals.
Enhancing understanding of Europe's AI safety standards is also a major challenge. While the United States leads performance competition among large AI models centered on big tech companies, Europe emphasizes safety and transparency through concepts like "trustworthy AI" and "explainable AI." It is expected that local joint research will assist domestic companies in complying with the EU AI Act.
An IITP official stated, "It is true that even U.S. companies with high technological capabilities face difficulties entering the European market," adding, "By promoting joint research based on collaborative hubs and simultaneously enhancing mutual understanding of Europe's AI safety standards, we can better prepare domestic companies for entry into the European market."
The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to link the European joint research lab with the New York Global AI Frontier Lab to build an AI research cooperation network connecting Korea, the United States, and Europe.
in TECH
