We develop data mining, machine learning, and natural language processing algorithms and apply them to real-world business data to derive actionable insights. Beyond improving algorithm accuracy and execution speed, our goal is to extract insights that can be directly used to create business value. The lab strives to advance from the technical role of a data scientist to that of a big data architect/designer, contributing to the development of corporations, the public sector, and scientific and technological progress.

Our lab has collaborated on various industry-academia partnership projects with leading domestic companies, such as Hyundai Heavy Industries and LG Electronics. Additionally, we actively participate in government-supported research and human resource development programs, including the BK21 Project, the Regional Research University Program, and the Mid-Career Researcher Program by the National Research Foundation of Korea. By applying the knowledge learned in graduate studies and research labs to actual work environments, we aim to nurture talented individuals with practical skills. Graduates of our lab have contributed to society in diverse roles, working at companies like Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Optimization involves extracting the core elements of decision-making problems that need to be solved in real-life scenarios, constructing mathematical models, and developing techniques to find optimal solutions to these models. As industrial engineering is a discipline that drives innovation in industrial settings, optimization techniques as tools of industrial engineering must be routinely applied in industrial environments. This ensures their utility and sustainability as instruments of industrial innovation. The recognition of deficiencies in techniques and the need for improvement or modification in this process also leads to useful research on optimization methodologies themselves. Our lab aims to spread the application of optimization techniques across industries, generate value in industrial settings, and expand the base of optimization technique utilization.

Our lab focuses on three primary objectives:
1. Training experts in optimization techniques as problem-solving tools:
The process of applying optimization techniques in industrial settings involves identifying the actual issues to be resolved from ambiguous concerns, defining effective models for the problems while considering internal and external environments, organizational structure, work processes, and informational resources, selecting and combining appropriate techniques as needed, and applying related software to operational processes. As industrial engineers, the most essential abilities include identifying the actual problems that need resolution, modeling skills, and selecting and applying appropriate optimization techniques. Additionally, a deep understanding of the principles of optimization techniques allows for their precise application, improvement, and innovation, as well as the development of new techniques.

2. Improving and developing theories and application methods for optimization techniques to make them more practical in real-world scenarios:
From this perspective, our lab’s main research topics focus on Integer Optimization and Robust Optimization under uncertainty.

3. Applying optimization techniques to solve real-world industrial problems:
For instance, we conduct research on optimization issues related to the design and operation of Korea’s power systems, optimization challenges in the semiconductor and display industries, and issues related to the design and operation of production systems in industries such as the paper industry.

Integer Programming, Robust Optimization, and Applications of Optimization in Power, Logistics, Manufacturing, and Service Industries.