KAIST Signs Agreement With Virnect Co., Ltd. To Establish a Virtual Convergence Research Institute — Leading K-Metaverse Innovation
[Korea Instructor Newspaper Reporter Han Sang-hyung]
An open industry-academia research platform that integrates K-metaverse technology — breaking the boundaries between reality and virtuality and enabling shared experiences beyond time and space — is expected to be established on the KAIST campus.
KAIST (President Lee Kwang-hyung) announced on the 13th that it would sign an agreement with the Graduate School of Metaverse and Virnect (CEO Ha Tae-jin), a domestic extended reality (XR) company founded by KAIST alumni, to establish and operate a Virtual Convergence Research Institute.
The new institute, to be built on KAIST’s campus, will prepare for participation in related research and serve as a national strategic hub to drive Korea’s future growth beyond simple industry-academia cooperation.
Virnect plans to develop the center as an open research collaboration platform with participation from both domestic and international industry and academic partners.
The institute aims to experiment with real-virtual convergence and position itself as a global hub for the K-metaverse innovation ecosystem, where technology development, talent cultivation, and industrial diffusion form a virtuous cycle.
Virnect Co., Ltd., founded by KAIST alumnus Ha Tae-jin, was listed on KOSDAQ in 2023 and received a CES Innovation Award for developing the industrial AI smart goggles “VisionX.”
Based on AI, XR solutions, and digital twin technologies, Virnect has grown into one of Korea’s leading spatial computing companies, and this collaboration with KAIST is expected to create significant synergy.
Spatial computing and XR technology are fields that major global tech companies — including Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Samsung — are focusing on as next-generation AI platforms, engaging in fierce competition for leadership.
While countries such as the United States and China are investing heavily in these areas, the launch of the KAIST Virtual Convergence Research Institute is seen as a strategic move to ensure Korea does not fall behind in the post-metaverse era.
The institute will serve as a Research & Business Development (R&BD) hub, integrating core technologies such as digital twins, metaverse, spatial and physical intelligence, and wearable XR to drive both industrial productivity and social innovation.
It also plans to rapidly verify applicability in industrial environments and support the creation of new industries through a full-cycle system encompassing education, research, validation, commercialization, and dissemination.
In addition, the institute will create national-level synergy through close cooperation with government policies.
Its objectives include ▲ strengthening education-research linkages ▲ building a sustainable metaverse ecosystem ▲ expanding global leadership through open industry-academic research platforms — all of which align with the government’s strategy to advance the virtual convergence industry.
“Long-term collaboration with KAIST will serve as a stepping stone for Virnect to become a game changer in the global XR industry,” said Ha Tae-jin, CEO of Virnect.
“We will enhance the competitiveness of virtual convergence technology through research and education infrastructure, and accelerate commercialization through real-world demonstrations.”
Professor Woo Un-taek, head of the Graduate School of Metaverse, said,
“The Virtual Convergence Research Institute is an open platform for industry-academic research to explore K-metaverse innovation and will serve as a ‘meta power plant’ to nurture key future talent and spread research outcomes to industry.”
KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung added,
“This agreement represents a strategic investment to secure global leadership by breaking the boundaries between research and industry. KAIST will provide full support for the new institute.”
If the government designates graduate schools and research institutes specializing in the virtual convergence industry and further expands industrial cooperation, the KAIST Virtual Convergence Research Institute is expected to become a national innovation platform consolidating Korea’s metaverse capabilities.
This initiative is anticipated to go beyond simple technological development to create new value for future society and strengthen national competitiveness.
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