Gachon University is launching a collaborative framework with industry, academia, and government to establish a Food Tech Research Support Center focused on 3D food printing in Seongnam.
On the 13th, Gachon University announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding with ten organizations, including Seongnam City Hall, Seongnam Industry Promotion Agency, Seongnam Industrial Complex Management Corporation, Seongnam Industry-Academia-Research Food Tech Council, World Food Tech Council, Seoul National University Food Tech Center, Bundang Seoul National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute, and Korea Chemical Convergence Test Research Institute, to build the Food Tech Research Support Center.
The signing ceremony was attended by Park Tae-sik, head of Gachon University's Industry-Academic Cooperation Group, and Lee Dong-hoon, a professor in the Department of Food Biotechnology.
This agreement aims to jointly respond to the Food Tech Research Support Center project promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and to establish a cooperative foundation for the center's construction and operation after selection.
Seongnam City aims to attract a research support center in the field of 3D food printing and plans to apply for the project as early as October.
The participating organizations agreed to collaborate on various initiatives, including joint research on AI, robotics, and digital technology-based food tech, development and demonstration of 3D food printing technology, shared equipment construction and operation, and prototype production and commercialization.
Gachon University's Industry-Academic Cooperation Group will connect the university's research and educational capabilities with industry to support the training of professionals in food tech and the validation of technologies.
In particular, the program will link industry-based training with practical demonstrations to ensure that research outcomes translate into real-world applications.
3D food printing is a technology that creates three-dimensional food products based on digital designs.
It is gaining attention as a key technology in the future food tech industry, enabling the development of customized food that reflects individual characteristics and needs, as well as new food manufacturing methods.
Seongnam residents have expressed optimism about the establishment of the Food Tech Research Support Center, anticipating it will enhance the region's competitiveness in future industries and create new job opportunities.
With the collaborative framework involving universities, businesses, and research institutions, there is hope that the initiative will lead to not just research but also technology development, validation, and commercialization, contributing to the revitalization of the local economy.
Meanwhile, Park Tae-sik stated, “This agreement will strengthen the industry-academia-research cooperation system centered on Seongnam City, and based on Gachon University's research and educational capabilities in food biotechnology, we will actively support the research, validation, and industrialization of food tech technologies.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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