*“With KIMM, To the World” is the KIMM’s unique international collaboration platform spanning local governments, the central government, the industry, academic institutions, and research institutes. It is an international collaboration program aiming to strengthen the international cooperation capabilities of domestic corporations in the field of mechanical technology by matching the KIMM’s global partner firms with domestic companies. 

□ Due to the extreme traffic congestion in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, the average speed of buses running in the city is very low. The emission of fine dust, attributable to the exhaust fumes emitted from old engines and the high concentration of sulfur contained in the fuel for those engines, is also a serious problem. Following the Mongolian government’s official request to the Korean government in 2019 for support with regard to technologies for reducing fine dust,  KIMM has been conducting projects to mitigate fine dust in urban areas by applying its independently developed technologies. 

□ Since 2021, through the Ministry of Science and ICT’s science and technology support projects utilizing intellectual properties (joint research to resolve problems suffered by developing nations; Official Development Assistance, ODA), KIMM has been conducting the project for the “Development and Demonstration of DPF Technologies for Old Buses to Resolve Air Pollution in Ulaanbaatar” (supervised by Senior Researcher Dae-Hoon Lee, adjunct professor at the Korea National University of Science and Technology (UST)) by applying its technologies to old buses operating in Ulaanbaatar. 

□  The technology for plasma burner-based diesel particulate filters (DPFs) developed by the KIMM is used for burning and removing the soot particles that are generated during the combustion process of diesel engine fuel. In particular, KIMM has innovatively improved the burner’s ignition and flame maintenance performance by applying its plasma burner technology. Demonstration tests have been conducted with regard to this technology by applying it to military special-purpose vehicles since 2018. Additionally, demonstration of the technology has been carried out on domestic construction equipment and old buses in Mongolia, resulting in notable reductions in the generation of white smoke. 

□ On April 30 (Tuesday), the KIMM delegation also met with the State Secretary Jambaltseren Tumur-Uya of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light industry of Mongolia, to introduce KIMM’s smart farm technologies and to discuss the potential cooperation in the field of agricultural machineries.

□ President Seog-Hyeon Ryu of KIMM was quoted as saying, “Improving the global air environment is an important demonstration topic that KIMM ought to prioritize as a government-contributed research institute. We will strive to proliferate sustainable and customized plasma DPF systems by winning ODA follow-up projects.” President Ryu further commented, “We will also make efforts to expand our international cooperation network with other countries in Asia that seek to improve their air quality.”