Cyber Valley joins forces with Seoul AI Hub and AIIS in historic MOU signing

(Tübingen, 15.02.24) – An official Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony took place on February 15th, 2024, at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) in Tübingen, Germany. This collaboration marks a historic achievement, as it signifies the first official partnership between Cyber Valley and two significant artificial intelligence institutes in Asia.   

The ceremony was attended by Rebecca C. Reisch, Managing Director of Cyber Valley, who warmly welcomed the Chief of the Seoul AI Hub, Jong-min Ham, as well as the Director of Artificial Intelligence Institute Seoul National University (AIIS), Byoung-Tak Zhang, highlighting the significance of this unique event. The ceremony featured presentations by two start-ups from the Cyber Valley Community – NeurCG and Tabularis.AI – who underscored the benefits of being situated in Baden Württemberg. Following the ceremony, attendees enjoyed a tour of MPI-IS Tübingen, along with a special lab tour.  

Rebecca C. Reisch, Managing Director of Cyber Valley (Left); Jong-min Ham, Chief of the Seoul AI Hub (middle); Byoung-Tak Zhang; Director of Artificial Intelligence Institute Seoul National University (AIIS) (right). Image: Cyber Valley

Strengthening partnership on a global scale  

The MOU serves as a testament to the commitment of both organizations to foster innovation and collaboration in the field of artificial intelligence. It opens avenues for extensive networking opportunities in Asia and Europe, laying the foundation for future advancements and partnerships.  

Rebecca C. Reisch elaborates, "The partnership with AI Hub Seoul and the Artificial Intelligence Institute of Seoul National University marks Cyber Valley’s first-ever collaboration between South Korea's premier AI institutes. This collaboration is poised to transform the artificial intelligence landscape across Asia and Europe, making a lasting impact. The impact of #bettertogether is particularly evident here, where our goal is to advance the growth of start-ups through the collective use of our resources.” 

Key highlights of the collaboration between the three parties include the sharing of resources, with a specific focus on establishing a funding network and investment avenues for start-ups. Joint research projects and start-up research residencies are also integral components of this partnership, providing a platform for shared exploration and development.

Innovation and Growth: Seoul AI Hub and AIIS  

The Seoul AI Hub was established in December 2017 by the city of Seoul and has evolved significantly since then. Thus far, it has facilitated the growth of over 360+ AI start-ups, with particular note on the recent successful IPO of Crowdworks among its portfolio.  

The Seoul AI Hub plays a role in supporting AI start-ups in Korea. Its assistance spans technical problem-solving, overseas expansion, and management support, among other areas. The strategic location near Gangnam, a pivotal hub in the IT industry with research facilities of major companies, further enhances seamless communication with industry members. The Seoul AI Hub has emerged as a vital stepping stone in the AI start-up realm. 

Jong-min Ham aims to nurture and support Korean ventures in the thriving European market. Image: Cyber Valley

Jongmin Ham, Chief of Seoul AI Hub, said, “We have great expectations for jointly fostering and supporting Korean AI start-ups through our collaboration with Cyber Valley and AIIS.” He added, “We hope that our global AI network has paved the way for Korean AI start-ups to thrive in the European market."

Established in 2019, the AIIS is an interdisciplinary research institute committed to consolidating and promoting AI-related research. Positioned as a central hub for research in Core AI and X+AI domains, AIIS encourages collaboration among researchers from various disciplines. Their guiding principles include a commitment to AI for All Research, AI for All Industries, and AI for All People. Presently, AIIS boasts approximately 300 affiliated faculty members actively engaged in its initiatives. 

Byoung-Tak Zhang's vision has been to create a worldwide community of AI experts collaborating to achieve collective excellence. Image: Cyber Valley

Byoung-Tak Zhang, Director of the AIIS, said, “ Byoung-Tak Zhang, Director of the AIIS, said, “Since the beginning of the AIIS in 2019, we have always envisioned a global network of specialists in the AI field collaborating with one another to become more than the sum of our parts.” He added, “We are excited to partner with some of the brightest minds in the AI field here at Cyber Valley along with Seoul AI Hub and eagerly anticipate what the future holds for all of us.” 

Cyber Valley, Seoul AI Hub, and Artificial Intelligence Institute of Seoul National University (AIIS) are excited about the prospects this collaboration brings and anticipate the positive impact it will have on the global AI community.  

About Cyber Valley  

Cyber Valley is Europe’s largest and leading center for excellence in artificial intelligence and modern robotics. Its mission and public mandate are to advocate for research, development, application, and acceptance of technologies and methods in the field of intelligent systems. Cyber Valley encourages entrepreneurship by uniting scientific excellence with innovation and technology transfer. In addition, Cyber Valley facilitates critical reflection on the ethical and social implications of AI through public engagement. Cyber Valley envisions a future in which the full potential of intelligent systems is leveraged for the greater good of the world.  

About Seoul AI Hub  

Seoul AI Hub is a non-for-profit organization that was established in 2017 by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in order to foster the AI industry. In this regard, Seoul AI Hub now cultivates AI human resources, provides accelerating programs to 250+  membership AI start-ups, and tries to form synergistic connections within the industry. 

About Artificial Intelligence Institute of Seoul National University (AIIS)  

Artificial Intelligence Institute of Seoul National University is an intercollegiate research institute established in 2019, committed to integrating and supporting AI-related research. As a hub of AI research both in Core AI and X+AI areas, Seoul National University's 300+ professors and 2,000+ researchers of diverse disciplines collaborate through AIIS.

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