한국전력기술

KEPCO E&C on February 25 signed the agreement with eight SMEs in the energy sector to cooperate for “SME R&D projects to develop seed-type DX” and held a conference on implementation and cooperating for the Digital New Deal.

The agreement is part of the Cooperative Collaboration with SME program created in June to establish a new ecosystem for implementing the Korean Government’s Green New Deal and DX of the energy industry.

The purpose of the agreement is to develop convergent technologies by identifying innovative ideas in data, networks, and AI (D.N.A.) and applying them in the existing energy business. KEPCO E & E&C will invest about 75% of the total R&D costs and provide support with specialized R&D personnel in the SMEs' specific fields.

KEPCO E&C selected five subjects in digital technologies, including AI, digital twin, and blockchain, through an in-house idea competition for the Seed-type R&D project.

The participating SMEs will execute new R&D projects for digital engineering and safety improvement in operating nuclear power plants by signing the agreement. KEPCO E&C expects to secure digital innovative technologies to lead future new businesses.

The representatives from SMEs attending the signing events pledged to “actively collaborate with KEPCO E&C in technology development linked with government policies, such as Green New Deal.” Youm Hag-ki, Director of KEPCO E&C Power Technology Institute, disclosed that “KEPCO E&C is committed to realizing social values of shared growth by actively supporting SMEs based on the characteristics and competency of the specializing energy technology company.”