"Signing of a Korea-China academia-industry cooperation agreement in the field of next-generation space solar cells and space photovoltaics"

▸Gyeongsang National University Professor Kihwan Kim’s research team - Pheno Innovations (Pheno Innovations)

▸Comprehensive cooperation including joint research, academic activities, and personnel exchanges in space solar cell materials and devices

Gyeongsang National University (GNU; President Jin-hoe Kwon) Professor Kihwan Kim’s (Polymer Engineering) laboratory in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for academia-industry cooperation in the field of solar cells with the China-based space photovoltaics specialist company ‘Pheno Innovations (Pheno Innovations Technology Co., Ltd.)’ (hereinafter ‘Pheno Innovations’).

The signing ceremony was held on May 31 at the Jeju International Convention Center (ICC JEJU) during the 2026 Global Conference on Innovative Materials (GCIM 2026) & MRS-K Spring Meeting, and the agreement officially entered into force upon the signatures of Gyeongsang National University’s Professor Kihwan Kim and Pheno Innovations’ Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Jiantao Wang.

This MOU includes comprehensive cooperation items such as ▲ joint research on space solar cell materials and devices ▲ exchange of research personnel and technical information ▲ mutual use of research facilities and equipment ▲ joint paper publication and participation in academic conferences. The agreement is valid for one year and will be automatically extended under the same conditions unless either party gives separate notice.

Pheno Innovations is a Chinese company specialized in the development of space photovoltaics (Space Photovoltaics) and high-performance solar cell technologies, and this agreement is expected to create synergy by combining Gyeongsang National University’s perovskite-based space solar cell core technologies with Pheno’s application and commercialization capabilities in space photovoltaics.

Professor Kihwan Kim’s team at Gyeongsang National University is the only laboratory in Korea that owns in-house low Earth orbit (LEO) space-environment simulation equipment and has real-time in-situ thermal cycling test infrastructure; recently, they published in Communications Engineering a study on perovskite solar cells with a bilayer hole transport layer structure based on space-simulation real-time thermal cycling tests, thereby building an international research track record in the field of space perovskite solar cells.

Professor Kihwan Kim said, “Taking this MOU as an opportunity, we will strengthen the Korea-China academia-industry cooperation network in space photovoltaics and launch full-fledged joint research to demonstrate the space applicability of perovskite solar cells.”

ㅇ Photo caption: Pheno Innovations’ CTO Jiantao Wang (left) and Gyeongsang National University’s Professor Kihwan Kim of the School of Materials Science and Engineering pose for a commemorative photo holding the MOU agreement.

ㅇ For inquiries: Gyeongsang National University Professor Kihwan Kim 055-772-1651

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