LIG Nex1, a South Korean aerospace and defense company, said on Thursday it held a ceremony to launch Smart National Defense 4.0 Research Center at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, where it will cooperate with the nation’s top tech university in developing cutting-edge warfare technology.

The research center will be tasked with conducting joint research on the development of an AI-based proximity access control network for unmanned aircraft operations and automatic analysis of vulnerabilities in cyber warfare among others.

The company also aims to drive various programs to promote industry-academia cooperation including joint project identification, technology consulting, academic and information exchanges and technical analysis related to national defense industries.

“We have been making efforts to develop and localize advanced weapons system for independent national defense for the past 40 years. We remain committed to raising our R&D capabilities with a greater sense of responsibility in the area of future warfare in the era of the fourth industrial revolution,” said a company official.

Meanwhile, LIG Nex1 appointed Kim Ji-chan as its new chief executive on Thursday. Kim, 59, joined the company in 1987 and held strategy development and other key positions before becoming vice president in 2017.

LIG Nex1 shares closed down 1.01 percent at 48,900 won ($45.19) on Friday.

By Moon Ji-woong and Minu Kim

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