Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced the launch of a joint AI research laboratory at the KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI in Seoul, according to a press release issued July 23, 2026.

The collaboration is valued at $300 million and is structured around $50 million per year in compute contributions over an initial five-year period. Computing infrastructure will be provided through local Nvidia Cloud Partners.

The lab will focus on developing AI models optimized for the Korean language and Korea-specific use cases, using Nvidia Nemotron open models. Research is intended to support a pipeline from academic work to enterprise and national AI deployments.

Under the agreement, the lab plans to fund at least 10 KAIST researchers annually, each receiving internship opportunities at Nvidia. Nvidia also plans to hire exceptional Korean researchers for full-time positions.

Hyunwoo Kim, an incoming faculty member at the KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, is set to serve as head of the joint lab. "Together, Nvidia and KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI will pursue ambitious work that helps Korea attract and retain top AI scientists while building lasting ties with Nvidia's global research organization," Kim said.

Bill Dally, chief scientist and senior vice president of research at Nvidia, said the lab "will provide a foundation for the next frontier of AI research to accelerate AI models and agent systems built for Korea's industries, language and future."

KAIST is a public research university founded in 1971 and headquartered in Daejeon, South Korea, with a focus on engineering, AI, semiconductor technology, robotics and digital humanities.