The Institute for Basic Science (IBS) held a ground breaking ceremony on June 30 at Doryong Central District of the International Science & Business Belt (ISBB).

The event, organized by IBS and co-hosted by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) and Daejeon Metropolitan City, attracted 200 guests from the science & engineering community. Distinguished guests included: HONG Nam-Ki, the First Vice Minister of the MSIP; KWON Sun-Taik, the mayor of Daejeon; LEE Eun-Kwon and JEONG Yong-Ki, lawmakers from the Saenuri Party; LEE Sang-Min, lawmaker from the Minjoo Party; CHOI Mun-Ki, the former MSIP minister and KIM Doo-Chul, the IBS president

In his opening speech, Vice Minister Hong stressed, "The MSIP will continue to support the completion of the IBS Complex so that IBS can be a world’s top 10 research institute and a growth engine of Korea for over a century." He added, "In cooperation with Daejeon City, the ministry will spare no effort in developing the ISBB into a world-class science-based innovation cluster."

The IBS president, KIM Doo-Chul expressed his gratitude to the vice minister and paid particular attention to the scientific minds, "Thanks to the support and dedication from the scientific community, we are successfully positioning ourselves as a representative basic research institute of Korea. The completion of the construction will signal IBS as the national basic science hub. IBS’s research capacity will further expand and stronger collaborations with universities and basic research communities will be forged."

IBS plans to finish the 1st phase of the construction by November 2017 and gradually move Centers and personnel into the new Complex from its temporary HQ in Jeonmin-dong. From 2018, IBS will open a new chapter of its history in Doryong-dong. The 1st phase will complete the construction of research and administrative facilities such as research labs, a guest house and a library, which will be located in a total area of 200,000m² and gross floor area of 72,000 m².

With the completion of the construction, IBS plans to attract and foster outstanding scientists, strengthen global research collaboration and successfully establish RAON, the Korean Rare Isotope Accelerator. As a result, the institute will be a world-class research institute pursuing excellence in basic science research. Moreover, it will play its part as a vital institution of the ISBB to establish a science-based industrial ecosystem by creating knowledge.

IBS, established in November 2011, currently operates 26 Centers. The institute actively invites the world’s top scientists and cultivates young researchers through programs like the Young Scientist Fellowship. In order to promote global research collaboration, it has been actively pursuing partnership with world-famous institutes such as the Max Planck Society (MPG) in Germany, the Institute for Physical & Chemical Research (RIKEN) in Japan and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in the U.S through a number of MOUs. Also, IBS will hold a series of IBS Conferences to promote international collaborations in the second half of this year.

▲ Dignitaries at the ceremony

▲ Dignitaries taking part in the ceremonial shoveling