A research team led by Professor Park Wonsun from the Center for Climate Physics at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) at Pusan National University has been selected to conduct a project under the ‘Climate, Energy and Mobility’ cluster of Horizon Europe, the university announced on 26th February.
‘Horizon Europe’ is the world’s largest multilateral research and innovation initiative, with the European Union (EU) investing approximately 160 trillion KRW (110 billion USD) over a seven-year period which began in 2021.
Led by the UK Met Office, this project brings together a consortium of 13 top-tier research institutions across 12 countries, including Pusan National University, Germany’s GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, and France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).
From late this year, the research team will engage in collaborative research supported by a total budget of 6.4 million euros (approx. 11 billion KRW) over four years.
The team’s primary mission is to develop a “highly efficient, high-resolution model.” Utilizing ‘NEMO’ (Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean)—Europe’s premier ocean model—the project will focus on dramatically increasing simulation resolution for specific marine areas.
The project is expected to help secure next-generation response technologies against climate change-driven impacts, such as sea-level rise and extreme weather events, while reducing the financial burden associated with modeling costs.
“This research will deliver the precise scientific data essential for regional climate adaptation, while paving new paths for advancements in ocean climate technology,” Professor Park said. “It will also serve as a key milestone in strengthening climate modeling cooperation between South Korea and Europe.”