Korea and U.S. Launch Joint Energy-AI Research Initiative
The Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) held workshops with two major U.S. Department of Energy laboratories in late March to establish joint research programs combining artificial intelligence with energy technology.
KIER visited Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) on March 23-24 and the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) on March 26-27. Both institutions signed memorandums of understanding with KIER in January 2025 and January 2026, respectively.
Research Areas Identified
The workshops focused on aligning projects with the U.S. Department of Energy's Genesis Mission-an AI and high-performance computing program launched in November 2025-and Korea's K-Moonshot initiative.
Proposed collaboration areas include:
- AI-based energy systems
- Hydrogen production and utilization
- Secondary battery technology
- Critical minerals research
- Solar energy
- Carbon capture technologies
The discussions also covered personnel exchanges and shared access to research facilities.
Next Steps
KIER and LLNL plan to establish an advisory committee for bilateral and multilateral joint research. NLR will host a follow-up workshop at KIER in April.
Yi Chang-Keun, KIER president, said the U.S. laboratories possess "world-class large-scale research infrastructure and scientific and technological capabilities." He added that the collaboration will focus on "future energy fields such as hydrogen, secondary batteries, carbon capture, and AI-based energy technologies."
KIER is also attending a policy workshop in Washington, D.C., on March 30 to discuss broader Korea-U.S. energy cooperation strategies.
Your membership also unlocks:
