Seoul:<Text>
Hanwha Aerospace Co., South Korea's leading defense systems company, and game publishing giant Krafton Inc. have agreed to jointly develop physical artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and establish a joint venture to commercialize them, the companies said Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, under their memorandum of understanding (MOU), the companies will pursue joint research and development (R&D) of core physical AI technologies, review verification and application scenarios, and establish technical and operational systems. They plan to commercialize the results of the joint development by establishing a joint venture and build a mid- to long-term cooperation framework.
The collaboration will merge Hanwha Aerospace's defense and manufacturing infrastructure and unmanned system technologies with Krafton's AI research capabilities and software development expertise. The two companies plan to expand their cooperation into the sp ace and aviation sectors over the long term.
In addition, they will invest in a US$1 billion fund established by Hanwha Asset Management focused on AI, robotics, and defense. "AI technology is rapidly expanding beyond industries, with new physical AI applications emerging in the defense sector," said Son Jae-il, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace. "Our partnership with Krafton will offer a new paradigm standard for physical AI and future defense."
Krafton CEO Kim Chang-han expressed that the joint venture could grow into a global defense technology firm like Anduril Industries Inc., based on "physical innovation by combining the company's AI technology and software expertise with Hanwha's industrial strengths."
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