PROGRAMME

Dr. Songhak Yoon finished his PhD in Materials Science in 2007 at POSTECH, Korea. He subsequently spent two years as a post-doctoral fellow at Forschungszentrum Jülich for 2 years and afterwards he had worked at Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology for around 5 years. Before joining Fraunhofer IWKS in 2019, he worked at the University of Stuttgart for 3 years. After getting his PhD degree, he has been conducting research on various materials for energy conversion. His latest research has focused on developing sustainable recycling processes for Li-ion batteries, especially alterative hydrometallurgy for direct regeneration of black mass from an industrial perspective. He served as programme committee for EKC2019 and EKC2020. He is a member of the Korea Technology Advisory Group (K-TAG). He is now one of the steering committees for Global Industrial Technology Cooperation Center Program (GITCC) funded by KIAT (Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology) under the Korean government’s Ministry of Trade Industry and Energy (MOTIE).

He is the Director General of the Korea-Europe Quantum Science and Technology Cooperation Center (KE-QSTCC). He holds a doctoral degree in Technological Policy from Seoul National University and has published papers on the effects of public subsidies, including cooperation diversity impact. Dr. Lee has planned national ICT industrial and R&D policies for over a decade of experience at the Institute for ICT Planning & Evaluation (IITP). He was the R&D coordinator for planning the national R&D program in quantum communication and quantum sensing program. Additionally, he had worked at a defense company (LIG Nex1) as an RF and radar subsystem engineer for approximately nine years. His current interests include international R&D cooperation, policy, and the R&D ecosystem in the field of quantum science and technology.

Prof. Yong-Hoon Cho is a Professor in the Department of Physics at KAIST, where he leads the Quantum & Nanobio Photonics Laboratory. He has held academic positions at KAIST since 2008 and previously served at Chungbuk National University (2000–2008). His international research experience includes appointments as a visiting scholar at UCLA (USA) and CEA-CNRS-UJF (France), and he has held research positions at Seoul National University and Ohio State University. His recent research contributions focus on quantum emitters, compound semiconductors, and nanophotonic devices. Selected recent publications include articles in ACS Nano, Advanced Quantum Technologies, and Optics Letters, as well as editorial work for a special issue of Physica Status Solidi A on compound semiconductors.

Hyong-Ha Kim is a Principal Research Scientist at the Korea Research Institute of Standards & Science (KRISS). She graduated with Honors from Seoul National University receiving her B.S & later M.S., and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Plant Molecular Biology. At KRISS, her main research focus was ‘Bioanalysis and Biological Measurement Standards’, however, she gained international cooperation experience while serving as the Director of the Office of Global Partnership, and later as the Director of the International Cooperation Division at the National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST). Her international cooperation experiences include External Expert for MSCA since 2009, ERC NCP for Korea since 2013, HFSP Organization Board of Trustee representing Korea since 2022. 

Mr. Sang Ha Woo, with a background in International Relations, joined the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) in 2015. He planned and managed programs aimed at enhancing the practical application of university education through the Ministry of Education’s PRIME project. He then took charge of support programs in the Humanities and Social Sciences division before moving on to oversea science  and technology cooperation with East Asian countries, including Japan and China. In this role, he also provided comprehensive support for international cooperation initiatives led by the Ministry of Science and ICT. With Korea set to join Horizon Europe as an associate member from 2025, he assumed the positon as Head of the Horizon Europe Collaboration Team since July 2024, also serves as an NCP coordinator, Rep of Korea.

Maia Myung-Soon KIM had been a principal researcher at Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) since 1994. Starting 2020 she worked in Korea-EU Research Center (KERC) in Brussels as a Policy Officer and also as a  National Contact Point (NCP) of South Korea for Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe (Clusters 3 / Cluste 4) to enhance research collaborations between Korea and EU in the field of ICT technologies.

Dr. Suk-Woo Nam is the Director of the Clean Hydrogen Institute at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). He leads multiple projects focused on advancing R&D in large-scale renewable energy storage and high-efficiency fuel cell power generation using chemical hydrogen carriers such as ammonia and liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs), with the goal of realizing a practical hydrogen economy.
Dr. Nam received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology. He conducted research on high-temperature fuel cells and chemical hydrogen storage at KIST from 1990 to 2024. He served as Chair of the Korean Hydrogen & New Energy Society in 2022.

Dr. Kyoung-Pyo Kim is currently implementing the projects for the development of nuclear infrastructure and small modular reactor at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Previously, he was responsible for the KAERI-K.A.CARE Joint R&D Center as a director at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and has 40 years of experience in international relations, policy analysis and strategic planning. He also serves as vice president of the Korean Hydrogen & New Energy Society and the Korean Society of Industrial Information Systems, and as a board member of trustees of the Korean Valuation Association.

Dr. Jungdon Suk is the Head of Advanced Battery Research Center and Principal Research Scientist at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), where she has led national projects on lithium-ion battery and next-generation lithium-based batteries since 2012. She also serves on the Expert Committee of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council (NSTAC). She received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin under Prof. Allen J. Bard, following degrees from KAIST (M.S.) and Chungnam National University (B.S.), and previously worked at LG Chem. She holds a faculty appointment at the University of Science and Technology (UST). Her research focuses on lithium metal batteries, solid-state batteries, and electrode/electrolyte interfacial chemistry for sustainable energy storage.

Principal Researcher of KIST Europe
Group Leader of Environmental Safety Group of KIST Europe

Senior Researcher of KIST Europe
Senior Researcher, Biosensor Group, KIST Europe

Yongrae CHO is a Research Fellow at STEPI (Science and Technology Policy Institute). During his incumbency at STEPI, he joined Y-KAST (Young Korean Academy of Science and Technology) as a Member (2020~2022) and PACST (Presidential Advisory Council on Science & Technology) as a Policy Research Fellow (2015). As a Visiting Scholar, Dr. CHO conducted Japanese CETs policy investigation at GRIPS (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies) in Tokyo (2023). 
Dr. CHO has practical experiences in Hyundai Motor Company at business plan and accounting team (2002~2007). His research subjects focus on evidence-based national CETs analysis and innovation strategy with participated in the governmental project for the selection and development of Korean National 12 CETs. He published several articles on innovation strategy and S&T policy in international journals, working as an editor in several journals. He holds a Ph.D. in Innovation & Technology Management from KAIST (2014).

Dr. Jonghwa Choe is a Research Fellow at the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), where he leads strategic initiatives at the intersection of global technology policy and innovation governance. He currently serves as the Principal Investigator of the Global Intelligence Network for Critical Emerging Technologies project, which aims to build robust international cooperation platforms among like-minded countries for strategic technology intelligence, foresight, and policy alignment in the face of rapidly evolving geopolitical and technological landscapes.
His research also spans topics such as public–private innovation ecosystems, technology diplomacy, and global R&D trends, contributing to the development of forward-looking policy instruments that align domestic innovation agendas with international dynamics.
With a strong background in science and technology policy, Dr. Choe combines analytical rigor with a global perspective, serving as a thought leader in fostering resilient and inclusive innovation systems.

He has been the director of KRISO Europe Center(KEC) in Oslo, Norway since May 19, 2025. He received his bachelor's degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering from Seoul National University, and his master's and Ph. D from the same university. His major is underwater acoustics. Since joining KRISO in 2004, he has continued his research on eco-friendly ships, especially in the field of underwater noise. He has also conducted research on underwater stealth in the naval sector. He has gained international cooperation experience through ISO and ITTC activities.

Dr Byongug Jeong currently works as a Lecturer of Marine Engineering while teaching and researching various types of marine systems across technical, environmental and safety perspectives. Prior to this role, he worked at the Korean Register as a marine surveyor for over six and half years. During this time, he had the following commitments/responsibilities: Drawing approvals of cargo vessels and engine systems / Contribution to updating maritime rules and regulations for ships and engines / R&D on engine systems applicable to commercial vessels focusing on regulation, design and feasibility / Training junior staff and providing technical consultancy to clients for marine systems and regulations. He also worked at Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. Ltd, over three years, as a marine engineer on board five merchant ships: an LNG carrier, two container ships and two bulk carriers. His experience, therefore, is wide-ranging from looking after on-board machinery to classification related work, which is an essential element to cultivating seagoing marine engineers. He presently serves as the president of Europe-Korea Marine and Ocean Engineers Association (EKMOA).

Director/Secretary General/Ph.D
- Korea-EU Semiconductor Collaboration Center(KE-SRCC)
- Korea Fabless Industry Association(KFIA)

Hoseok Jeon has been serving as an international cooperation expert at the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) since 2009. He began his career managing the Leading Foreign Research Institute Recruitment Program at the Center for International Affairs and deepened his expertise in international cooperation as a visiting researcher at Manchester Business School, University of Manchester. He subsequently led science and technology cooperation in Europe, serving as Representative of the NRF Belgium Office and Secretary General of KIC Europe in Berlin. Upon his return to Korea, he progressed through roles as Principal Researcher in the ODA Team and Team Head of American & European Affairs, and currently serves as Director of the Office of International Research Cooperation. He has published research on various topics including S&T research ethics, international R&D programs, and international cooperation output management, playing a pivotal role in formulating and implementing Korea's international science and technology cooperation policies.