SNU Department of Mechanical Engineering Signs MOU with EOS GmbH and KITECH 3D Printing Manufacturing Innovation Center to Train Workforce in Metal Additive Manufacturing
- Synergy expected from SNU’s design and theoretical education, KITECH’s advanced equipment and research capabilities, and EOS’s training licenses
- Provision of global-level industrial metal additive manufacturing education infrastructure at SNU
- Plans to cultivate industry-ready professionals through academia–industry–research collaboration


▲ (From left) Narae Moon, Manager at EOS GmbH Korea; Seungkyun Kim, Country Manager of EOS GmbH Korea; Kyu Jin Cho, Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University; Yong Son, Director of the Siheung 3D Printing Manufacturing Innovation Center at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH); Howon Lee, Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University; Jinsu Park, Researcher at KITECH

Seoul National University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering (Chair: Professor Kyu Jin Cho) announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with EOS GmbH Korea (Country Manager: Seungkyun Kim) and the Siheung 3D Printing Manufacturing Innovation Center of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) (Director: Yong Son) to collaborate on industrial additive manufacturing education and research.

The three institutions recently held a signing ceremony at SNU’s Gwanak Campus and agreed to establish a trilateral cooperation framework among academia, a global enterprise, and a research institute to systematically train skilled professionals in the field of metal additive manufacturing. The agreement will remain in effect for five years and will be automatically renewed annually thereafter.

Although demand for metal 3D printing is rapidly increasing in advanced industries such as aerospace, defense, and space, university education in Korea remains heavily focused on plastic-based 3D printing due to limited access to metal additive manufacturing equipment and a lack of specialized training materials. As a result, there is a significant shortage of professionals who meet industry needs. This agreement was designed to address that workforce gap.

Under the agreement, EOS GmbH Korea—a German company specializing in industrial 3D printing systems—will provide SNU with professional training materials and Train-the-Trainer programs, as well as grant academy-level training licenses to students. Notably, EOS’s globally operated training content and instructor certification programs will be introduced in Asia for the first time. SNU will also gain access to world-class educational infrastructure for industrial metal additive manufacturing, which has previously been difficult to obtain at domestic universities.

Meanwhile, SNU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering will introduce a new regular course on additive manufacturing, focusing on theory and design education. KITECH will be responsible for hands-on training using EOS equipment at its Siheung 3D Printing Manufacturing Innovation Center, as well as joint research and development.

Kyu Jin Cho, Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at SNU, stated, “Just as Samsung Electronics exists alongside ASML in the semiconductor industry, talent that deeply understands and can effectively utilize equipment is essential to competitiveness in the metal 3D printing industry. Through this collaboration, SNU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering will serve as a national hub for training additive manufacturing professionals.”

Seungkyun Kim, Country Manager of EOS GmbH Korea, added, “As global big tech companies and domestic defense, aerospace, and automotive firms increasingly adopt metal 3D printing in mass production lines, this academia–industry–research collaboration will serve as an important catalyst for enhancing Korea’s manufacturing competitiveness.”

Yong Son, Director of the Siheung 3D Printing Manufacturing Innovation Center at KITECH, said, “Given the rapidly growing demand for metal additive manufacturing in defense and aerospace sectors, and the current shortage of skilled personnel and educational infrastructure, this structured training program developed in collaboration with SNU will serve as a critical starting point.”


[Contact Information]
Inhyeong Choi, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University / +82-2-880-1920 / salvus@snu.ac.kr