Top 25 Global Innovators – Government

Top 25 Global Innovators – Government

#6 Korea Institute of Science & Technology SOUTH KOREA

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology's headquarters in Seoul, South Korea (Photo: KIST)

The Korea Institute of Science & Technology (KIST) was founded in 1966 with funds and support from the United States and South Korean governments, and given the mission to develop technologies to help fuel Korea's economic development. Fifty years later, the institute is one of the world's leading R&D institutes, and is increasingly focused on tackling global challenges ranging from food and energy shortages to the medical needs of aging societies. KIST is currently supported by government funds under Korea's Ministry of Science, Information and Communications 

Technology and Future Planning, and employs more than 2,700 scientists in research divisions including the Brain Science Institute, the Green City Technology Institute, and the Robotics and Media Institute. KIST's Doping Control Center, established in 1984, gained international prominence when its researchers determined that Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson had used banned steroids during the 1988 summer games in Seoul. It remains one of the world's top laboratories combating drug abuse in sports. KIST researchers have also attracted attention for inventions including 'Engkey,' a humanoid robot that is used to teach English to students in Korean primary schools, and the 2015 discovery that the amino acid taurine may help reverse some of the effects of Alzheimer's disease.

http://www.reuters.com/innovation/most-innovative-institutions/profile?uid=6

kcontents