Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) (President Yang O-bong) held a collaboration roundtable with local governments and companies on the 7th to attract and successfully implement the Ministry of Education's "Support Project for Universities Specialized in Secondary Batteries," which is being solicited this year.

The Support Project for Universities Specialized in Secondary Batteries is a Ministry of Education program that will select three universities this year and provide national funding of more than KRW 12 billion per university to support bachelor-level talent development. Selected universities will, over four years, establish talent-development systems; develop and operate industry-demand-driven curricula; recruit outstanding faculty; and consolidate and operate advanced equipment in the secondary battery field to strengthen competitiveness in advanced industries.

At the collaboration roundtable, participants included JBNU, the Jeollabuk‑do provincial government, Korea Electrical Safety Corporation (President Park Ji-hyun), and companies that are residents and investors in the Saemangeum secondary battery specialized complex—㈜비나텍, ㈜정석케미칼, 에너에버배터리솔루션, 데카머티리얼, 위에너지, 제이솔루션, 백광산업, 이큐브머터리얼즈, 에너지11, 코솔로스, 성현, VM PLUS, ㈜앱틀러스, 성일하이텍(주)—who attended to present proposals and engage in discussions on promoting the secondary battery specialized university and developing industry training curricula.

At the roundtable, JBNU Professor Park Sang-ho (Division of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering) drew attention by presenting a strategic and operational blueprint aimed at cultivating a total of 600 professionals—targeting 100 students per year in interdisciplinary majors and 50 participants per year in professional programs for incumbent workers.

He also proposed a strategy to strengthen linkages and collaboration with regional companies by establishing field-problem-solving educational infrastructure and operating related programs. With anticipated administrative and financial support from the Jeollabuk‑do provincial government to develop Saemangeum as an advanced base for the secondary battery industry, it is expected that efforts to attract and implement the secondary battery specialized university project will gain further momentum.

In particular, based on the capabilities and support of the university and local governments and through participation from companies, the project is expected to serve as an opportunity to further enhance regional industrial competitiveness by fostering specialized talent in the regionally prioritized secondary battery industry.

President Yang O-bong said, "Today's collaboration roundtable is a very important occasion to bring together the core strengths possessed by JBNU and other institutions in the secondary battery field to create an ecosystem that enables sustainable growth for the local community, enhance global competitiveness, and continuously lead new growth industries." He added, "Through the secondary battery specialized university project, we will contribute to the establishment and development of the secondary battery industry ecosystem based on comprehensive university–region–industry cooperation."