[Maeil Businees Newspayper/February 6, 2025] Samsung Heavy Industries announced on the 6th that it signed a business agreement with the Korea Institute of Materials Science on the 5th to develop material technologies such as nuclear power and ultra-cold temperatures.

Under this business agreement, the two organizations plan to establish a cooperative system to exchange their technologies and promote domestic industrial development and entry into overseas markets through joint research on materials and applied technologies.

Areas where the two sides agreed to cooperate include △ molten salt reactor (MSR) materials and manufacturing technology △ ultra-low temperature materials and application technology △ wire-based 3D printing (WAAM) technology.

A molten salt atom refers to a next-generation energy source that can generate electricity with high efficiency without additional carbon dioxide emissions by utilizing nuclear fission energy. WAAM is a metal 3D printing technology that creates 3D structures by welding metal materials in the form of wires using electric flames.

In order for eco-friendly energy sources such as molten salt atoms and hydrogen to be commercialized as power sources for ships, material technology suitable for transportation and storage must be accompanied. It is also essential to secure corrosion prevention material technology for molten salt reactors. Accordingly, the two companies decided to jointly plan new development tasks and cooperate with each other in the use of facilities and equipment.

Choi Sung-an, CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries, said, "If Samsung Heavy Industries' technology commercialization experience and the source technology of the Material Research Institute are combined, we will be able to develop innovative materials and application technologies that will lead the world."