NVIDIA and KAIST Launch Joint AI Research Lab to Accelerate AI Innovation in Korea

NVIDIA and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have launched a joint AI research laboratory at the KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI in Seoul to accelerate the development of agentic AI in South Korea. The collaboration combines NVIDIA’s full-stack AI technologies, NVIDIA Nemotron™ open models, and NVIDIA AI Cloud partner computing with KAIST’s world-class research expertise. Through this partnership, the two organizations aim to establish a strong academic AI research program that advances next-generation AI technologies while supporting innovation and talent development in South Korea.

“AI research is entering a new era — one that requires frontier talent, large-scale infrastructure and deep collaboration across academia and industry,” said Hyunwoo Kim, incoming faculty member at the KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, who will serve as head of the joint NVIDIA-KAIST lab upon joining KAIST. “Together, NVIDIA and KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI will pursue ambitious work that helps Korea attract and retain top AI scientists while building lasting ties with NVIDIA’s global research organization.”

The joint AI research laboratory will be based at the KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI in Seoul, strengthening collaboration between NVIDIA and one of South Korea’s leading research institutions. Headquartered in Daejeon, KAIST is renowned for its expertise in engineering, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, robotics, and digital humanities.

As part of the initiative, the lab will support at least 10 KAIST researchers each year, providing research funding as well as internship opportunities at NVIDIA. The company also plans to recruit outstanding Korean researchers for full-time roles, creating stronger career pathways while fostering closer collaboration between academia and industry.

Backed by a US$300 million investment, the partnership includes approximately US$50 million per year in AI computing resources over an initial five-year period. Researchers will gain access to the latest NVIDIA AI infrastructure through local NVIDIA Cloud Partners, enabling large-scale AI research and development.

A key focus of the lab will be developing AI models tailored to the Korean language and local applications using NVIDIA Nemotron™ open models. The initiative aims to strengthen South Korea’s AI ecosystem by accelerating research breakthroughs and supporting the transition of AI innovations from academia to enterprise and national deployment.