Tag: Inha University

▲ Conceptual illustration of the study (process of reconstructing migration routes using environmental information recorded in barnacle shells).

Professor Taewon Kim’s research team from the Department of Marine Science at Inha University has developed a new research method for reconstructing the migration routes of sea turtles by analyzing the shells of barnacles that live attached to their carapaces.

Sea turtles are among the representative endangered marine species designated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Understanding their migration routes is essential for effective conservation. However, because they travel across vast ocean regions, attaching satellite tracking devices or conducting direct observations has been limited by both cost and technical challenges.

The research team analyzed the shells of the turtle barnacle (Chelonibia testudinaria) attached to a stranded Loggerhead sea turtle found on Jeju Island using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), an ultra-high-resolution stable isotope analysis technique. As barnacle shells grow, they continuously record environmental information such as seawater temperature and salinity in successive layers, preserving past migration records much like tree rings.

The researchers analyzed changes in stable oxygen and carbon isotopes in chronological order and newly calibrated the barnacle growth curve to match the environmental conditions of East Asian waters. Based on the results, they estimated that the sea turtle traveled through the Taiwan Strait, the waters surrounding the Philippines, and the Ryukyu Islands over approximately one year and six months before arriving in waters near Jeju, where it eventually stranded.

The same analytical method was also applied to other loggerhead sea turtles and Hawksbill sea turtle. The results indicated that loggerhead sea turtles repeatedly made long-distance migrations between the Philippines and waters around Jeju, while hawksbill sea turtles migrated northward along the Ryukyu Islands.

This study is particularly significant because it demonstrates that migration routes can be reconstructed even for stranded or bycaught individuals that are difficult to monitor using satellite tracking. Since South Korea has no sea turtle nesting grounds and most available specimens are stranded or accidentally caught, this research method is expected to provide new opportunities for studies on protected marine species and the development of conservation policies.

The research findings were recently published in Marine Environmental Research, a leading international journal in the field of marine environmental science.

Kyungsik Cho, the first author of the paper, said, “Barnacle shells preserve marine environmental information experienced by their host throughout its migration. This study demonstrates that such information can be used to reconstruct the migration routes of previously untracked sea turtles without satellite tracking.”

Professor Taewon Kim, the corresponding author of the study and professor at Inha University, stated, “This research is particularly meaningful because it shows that migration routes can be reconstructed using only stranded individuals in regions like South Korea, where directly tracking sea turtles is difficult. In the future, combining analyses of various stable isotopes and trace elements is expected to provide valuable data for studying the migration ecology of large marine animals and for establishing conservation policies.”

Original Article

▲ Participants of the 4th Industry-Academia Exchange Meeting for the Secondary Battery Industry pose for a commemorative photo.

▲Inha University recently hosted the 4th Industry-Academia Exchange Meeting for the Secondary Battery Industry. 

Inha University hosted the 4th Industry-Academia-Government-Research Exchange Meeting for the Secondary Battery Industry, where participants discussed cooperation strategies for developing Incheon’s secondary battery industry ecosystem and fostering battery professionals.

The exchange meeting was organized with support from the Secondary Battery Innovation Convergence University Project, promoted by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea, and the Secondary Battery Specialized University Project, supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). The event was also jointly organized in cooperation with Incheon Metropolitan City’s Renewable Energy Division and Inha University’s Anchor Headquarters.

The event was attended by 30 secondary battery-related companies in the Incheon area, including Korea Zinc, which plans to establish its Incheon Songdo R&D Center in 2027. Participants broadly discussed strategies for developing Incheon into a key hub of Korea’s secondary battery industry and explored collaborative initiatives among local governments, industries, universities, research institutes, and related organizations.

In particular, the meeting focused on strengthening the collaborative network with secondary battery companies located in the western metropolitan belt. Participants also shared concrete plans to expand Inha University’s role as a key hub connecting talent development and technology exchange in the secondary battery sector.

Inha University’s Secondary Battery Business Transition Support Program was also introduced during the event. The program provides materials and components analysis services and practical workforce training for companies seeking to transition into the secondary battery industry or preparing to enter the market.

Through the Secondary Battery Project Group, Inha University shares its advanced analytical equipment, research infrastructure, and educational expertise with local companies. Now in its third year, the program aims to enhance companies’ technological competitiveness while reducing the technical and workforce challenges associated with business transition.

Building on this exchange meeting, Inha University plans to further expand its collaboration network with regional companies while strengthening industry-driven talent development and technical support for the secondary battery sector.

Inha University will also continue to support local secondary battery companies through education, analytical services, and technology exchange, helping them strengthen their competitiveness across various fields, including materials, components, battery cells, and recycling.

The exchange meeting was regarded as an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of government, industry, academia, research institutes, and related organizations to strengthening the competitiveness of Incheon’s secondary battery industry and building a sustainable battery ecosystem.

Moving forward, Inha University plans to continue expanding talent development and technology support in close collaboration with local companies, responding to industry demands while playing a central role in establishing Incheon as one of Korea’s leading secondary battery industry hubs.

Choi Jin-seop, Director of the Secondary Battery Project Group, said, “Incheon has the potential to build a complete secondary battery ecosystem within a single region, spanning materials, battery cells, and recycling. As a key hub connecting companies across the western metropolitan belt, Inha University will continue expanding analytical support and workforce training programs to actively assist companies in business transition and strengthening their technological competitiveness.”

Original Article

▲Conceptual diagram of the AI-based autonomous Raman analysis system, “Artificial Raman Expert (ARE)”

A research team led by Professor Shin Dong-ha from Inha University’s Department of Chemistry has developed an AI-based analysis system called Artificial Raman Expert (ARE), enabling artificial intelligence to perform Raman spectroscopic analysis.

Raman spectroscopy is a representative technique used to analyze the chemical structure of materials, but it has traditionally depended heavily on expert experience for setting measurement conditions and interpreting data.

The ARE system developed by the research team allows artificial intelligence to carry out this expert analysis process. When sample information and analysis objectives are entered, the system independently plans laser conditions and measurement strategies, evaluates the analytical results, and readjusts the measurement conditions through an autonomous analysis process.

A paper on the ARE system was published in the international academic journal ACS Sensors (Impact Factor 9.1, top 5% in JCR) and was also selected as an Editors’ Choice article—a distinction awarded by the journal’s editors to particularly significant research.

In addition, the research team proposed statistical analysis standards to improve the reliability of nanoplastic analysis data. The study suggested that at least approximately 510 particles must be analyzed to estimate plastic composition with an accuracy of ±5% at a 95% confidence level.

These findings were recently published in the international journal Trends in Environmental Analytical Chemistry (Impact Factor 13.4, top 1% in JCR), a leading journal in environmental analytical chemistry.

Professor Shin Dong-ha said, “This research presents a way to simultaneously solve two major challenges in Raman-based nanoplastic analysis: data reliability and analytical automation. We plan to apply AI-based analytical technologies to a wide range of environmental and materials analysis fields in the future.”

▲Conceptual diagram illustrating the statistical limits in nanoplastic analysis

Original Article

▲ At the 2026 Work-Learning Dual System Partner Company Coordinators Community Meeting, Kwak Hyo-beom, Director of the Inha Talent Development Institute, delivers opening remarks.

Inha University recently successfully held the 2026 Work-Learning Dual System Partner Company Coordinators Community Meeting.

This meeting was organized to establish an organic communication channel between the university and partner companies, gather voices from industrial sites, and actively reflect them in future program operation processes.

A total of 29 participating companies, including STATS ChipPAC Korea, MetaM Co., Ltd., and Taihan Optical Communication Co., Ltd., attended the event. Company coordinators as well as key personnel, including officials from the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRDK), a partner institution of the university, took part and spent time exchanging ideas.

During the meeting, a variety of programs were conducted to support the stable settlement and substantial development of the system, including ▲ an introduction to the Work-Learning Dual System project and its future operational direction ▲ guidance on OJT (On-the-Job Training) operation and mandatory administrative requirements ▲ a special lecture on teaching methods for workplace trainers ▲ presentations and sharing of outstanding corporate cases ▲ small-group meetings for company coordinators and collection of opinions.

In particular, the special lecture on teaching methods for workplace trainers, titled “Communication with the MZ Generation,” received a highly positive response from participants. The session focused on communication methods with younger generations, an issue that has recently emerged in corporate workplaces, and presented concrete solutions to prevent learning workers from experiencing organizational maladjustment and to minimize dropout rates.

In addition, time was allocated to share and spread participating companies’ training know-how and successful cases of conversion to regular employment, providing valuable information to companies interested in newly joining the program. Companies presenting outstanding cases shared their systematic OJT systems and operational methods, while discussing practical measures that can maximize employee retention and final conversion rates to regular employment with other coordinators.

A small-group meeting for company coordinators was also conducted. Representatives from each company freely discussed difficulties and suggestions encountered at training sites, gathering field opinions to enhance the effectiveness of the program.

Kwak Hyo-beom, Director of the Inha Talent Development Institute, stated, “Thanks to the coordinators who work hard in the field, this event became a meaningful opportunity for universities and companies to explore practical cooperation measures. We will continue to actively share company-specific training know-how and provide full support so that learning workers can quickly adapt to the workplace and successfully transition to regular employment.”

▲ Participants of the 2026 Work-Learning Dual System Partner Company Coordinators Community Meeting pose for a commemorative photograph. 

▲ An outstanding case presentation is being conducted at the 2026 Work-Learning Dual System Partner Company Coordinators Community Meeting.

Original Article

▲The research team led by Professor Choi Jin-seop of the Department of Battery Convergence Engineering.

A research team led by Professor Choi Jin-seop from Inha University’s Department of Battery Convergence Engineering has recently synthesized lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode materials using waste stainless steel resources, presenting the possibility of utilizing them as recycled battery materials.

As the electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage system (ESS) markets grow rapidly, the importance of resource circulation and recycling technologies for battery materials is increasing. However, in actual recycling processes, various metal components are mixed together, leaving impurities such as nickel and chromium in iron-based precursors. Until now, complex high-purity refining processes have been applied to remove these impurities, but high costs and energy consumption have posed an industrial burden.

Through experimental analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the research team confirmed that nickel and chromium impurities play different roles within the lithium iron phosphate structure.

The study found that small amounts of nickel are stably incorporated into the lithium iron phosphate crystal structure, promoting charge transfer and lithium-ion movement while showing excellent high-rate performance. In contrast, chromium is unable to be stably incorporated into the structure and instead separates into an inactive oxide phase, interfering with lithium-ion movement and reducing electrochemical performance.

In particular, the research team confirmed that the best performance balance appears at a nickel content of approximately 1 mol%. They also identified that performance decreases beyond a certain level due to increased structural distortion and defects.

This study is meaningful because it moves beyond the conventional view that impurities must always be removed, presenting a new direction in which impurities can be managed and utilized depending on their type and concentration.

In addition, the study was conducted based on impurity conditions that may occur in actual recycling environments, comprehensively analyzing the structural, electronic, and electrochemical effects of impurities in recycled iron precursors. It also proposed realistic design directions and impurity tolerance standards for recycled lithium iron phosphate cathode materials.

The research results were published in the international academic journal Advanced Science (Impact Factor 14.1 based on 2024 JCR). The study was carried out as part of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s project, “Development of New Smelting and Extraction Process Technologies for Extracting and Materializing Nickel and Chromium from Waste Scraps Containing Nickel and Chromium.”

Professor Choi Jin-seop, the corresponding author, said, “This study is meaningful in that it systematically presents which impurities can be tolerated and up to what level.” He added, “In the future, material design strategies that focus on understanding and managing impurity behavior, rather than completely removing impurities, are expected to become increasingly important.”

Original Article