65 university teams applied nationwide; 10 selected to conduct research

Kim Dae-heon, chairman of the Hoban Construction board of directors (fifth from back row), poses for a photo with Seoul National University professors Yoon Sung-ro (fourth from back row) and Noh Eun-mi (sixth from back row), award winners from the university student competition, and other attendees at the 2026 K-Science Talent Academy results presentation on Thursday. [Hoban Group]
Kim Dae-heon, chairman of the Hoban Construction board of directors (fifth from back row), poses for a photo with Seoul National University professors Yoon Sung-ro (fourth from back row) and Noh Eun-mi (sixth from back row), award winners from the university student competition, and other attendees at the 2026 K-Science Talent Academy results presentation on Thursday. [Hoban Group]

Hoban Group has shared the first-year results of its K-Science Talent Academy, a program designed to nurture future talent in science and technology.

Hoban Group and the Hoban Scholarship Foundation held the 2026 K-Science Talent Academy results presentation Thursday at the group's headquarters in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

The event was attended by Kim Dae-heon, chairman of the Hoban Construction board of directors, Seoul National University professors Yoon Sung-ro and Noh Eun-mi, award-winning student teams and their families, and faculty advisers. The program featured a video recap of the academy's operations, research presentations by winning teams, and an awards ceremony.

The K-Science Talent Academy brings together companies and universities to give students hands-on education and research opportunities, supporting their development into future science and technology professionals.

This year's university project competition drew 65 teams from across the country in four fields: AI, AI convergence (AI+X), physics and chemistry. In May, 10 teams were selected and each received 2 million won ($1,490) in research funding to carry out their projects.

After a final review, three teams were named outstanding projects. The grand prize went to Inha University's A.I.M team, which proposed an autonomous driving wheelchair platform in the AI+X category, earning 30 million won in prize money.

Kookmin University's SPARK team, which developed a technology for identifying household plastics, took the top excellence award, while Korea University's CU-F! team, which presented a plastic upcycling platform, received the excellence award. The prizes were 20 million won and 10 million won, respectively.

Hoban Group launched the K-Science Talent Academy with a vision declaration ceremony in March, establishing a partnership with Seoul National University to identify talented students and operate educational programs.

In August, the group ran a three-day science camp at Seoul National University for 30 high school students from across the country. Participants took part in experiments, hands-on activities, mentoring sessions and career talks under the guidance of Seoul National University faculty and researchers.

"The K-Science Talent Academy, which we launched this year, was created to give students with a passion for science the chance to learn, conduct research and keep pursuing their ambitions," a Hoban Group official said. "We will continue to identify outstanding science talent and support the advancement of future science and technology."

Meanwhile, Hoban Construction recently unveiled a renewed residential brand identity and slogan for "Hoban Summit," its first rebrand in seven years. The company also introduced a new premium line called "Hoban Summit Edition," built around the concept of an urban summit embracing nature, which it plans to apply to future development sites.


quq@heraldcorp.com