Fraunhofer IML and Daegu DMI Collaborate in Robotics

Together with the South Korean Daegu Mechatronics & Materials Institute (DMI), Fraunhofer IML will work to enhance the global competitiveness of the AI robotics industry in both countries. On March 18, 2025, the DMI, the city of Daegu in South Korea, Fraunhofer IML, and the Global Robot Cluster (GRC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Dortmund to collaborate on research and development in AI-based video learning to secure cutting-edge technologies.

(Dortmund) Through international joint research and development between AI robotics institutions based in Daegu and leading foreign research facilities such as Fraunhofer IML, the partnership aims to strengthen global technological competitiveness and expand access to international markets. The signed MoU is a core component of the “Daegu AI Robotics Global Innovation Special Zone” project, which is set to launch in May 2025.

Fraunhofer IML will collaborate with companies from Daegu on research and development in AI-based video learning. The collaboration with Fraunhofer IML is expected to significantly enhance their technological capabilities in object detection, identification, and classification for robotic applications.

The “Global Innovation Special Zone” is a Korean-style innovation district (cluster) where priority approvals and downstream regulatory measures are applied to develop advanced new products and services for international expansion, and where demonstrations are conducted at a global standard level. Companies participating in the AI Robotics Global Innovation Zone will conduct demonstration research in collaboration with Fraunhofer IML in areas such as the advancement of autonomous driving, situational assessment, and the development of AI models that often present technical challenges in the development of AI robots.

Improving Quality of Life with AI Robotics

The Daegu Global Innovation Zone aims to improve the quality of life in areas such as healthcare, transportation, and public services using AI robotics technology. Through the MoU, the city of Daegu hopes to strengthen the innovation ecosystem of the AI robotics industry and establish itself as a leading city in the future robotics sector.

“This MoU with Fraunhofer IML will serve as a crucial stepping stone for AI robotics companies based in Daegu to achieve technological independence and lead future industry trends. Building on the achievements of the regulatory-free zone for mobile collaborative robots and this MoU with a global institution, we will strive to become a key hub for research and support in promoting deep-tech unicorns in the robotics sector,” said DMI Director Song Gyu-ho at the signing ceremony.

High-Quality Research Results

“The approach of our Korean partners allows us to implement and test technological developments quickly and with minimal administrative burden. We expect to gain solid and high-quality research results in the field of AI robotics, collected in real environments,” said Prof. Alice Kirchheim, head of the Fraunhofer IML.