Eight disaster-safety R&D projects honored at K-Safety Expo 2026

Eight researchers were recognized Sept. 2 at BEXCO in Busan for disaster-safety technologies covering wildfire prediction, flood monitoring, drone defense and firefighting robots. The awards highlight how AI, robotics and new materials are moving from research into real-world emergency response.

Why it matters: - Disaster-safety R&D is moving into practical use across wildfire response, flood forecasting, drone defense and firefighting. - Several of the honored technologies have already been tested in the field or deployed at local disaster control centers. - The awards point to a broader push to strengthen South Korea’s emergency-response infrastructure with AI, robotics and advanced materials.

What happened: - Eight researchers received the Minister of the Interior and Safety Award at the opening ceremony of K-Safety Expo 2026 on Sept. 2 at BEXCO in Busan. - The awards recognized outstanding disaster and safety management research from public-sector and private-sector teams. - The Ministry of the Interior and Safety hosted the Korea Disaster Safety R&D Awards, which have been held annually since 2019. - The ministry accepted nominations from May 28 to June 30 and selected the winners through review and expert presentation evaluation.

The details: - An AI system predicts wildfire spread paths and sends forecasts to local governments in real time. - The wildfire project is paired with an eco-friendly agent designed to slow the spread of flames. - The wildfire technology has already been used in actual suppression operations. - A publicly operated AI drone technology for disaster and public safety operations was among the winners. - An AI-based response system detects and disables illegal drones near key facilities, including airports and nuclear power plants. - One water-supply technology lifts irrigation water to higher ground using only the natural elevation drop of rainwater, without external power or a motor. - Field trials in farming communities showed the irrigation system significantly reduced water shortages during dry seasons. - A high-performance structural steel material was recognized for maintaining strength under earthquakes, fires and extreme marine conditions. - The steel material was successfully developed domestically. - An integrated management platform monitors aging reservoirs nationwide from a single screen to help identify flood risks early. - A mobile communications base station technology can operate reliably without communication outages at disaster sites. - A real-time platform analyzes rainfall and drainage conditions to predict urban flooding in advance. - A testing and evaluation system checks the performance of firefighting robots and specialized extinguishing rounds. - Many of the winning technologies have already been used at local disaster and safety control centers or at actual disaster sites. - The ministry expects wider use of the technologies at safety management sites across the country. - K-Safety Expo 2026 runs Sept. 2-4 at BEXCO under the theme “Convergence of Advanced Technology, the Future of Safety.” - The expo is co-hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Busan Metropolitan City. - A total of 340 companies and institutions from Korea and abroad are participating, showing disaster-safety technologies in AI, robotics, drones and other fields.

Between the lines: - The award list shows South Korea is prioritizing technologies that can shorten response times and reduce reliance on manual judgment during disasters. - The mix of drone defense, flood prediction and resilient infrastructure suggests the ministry is treating disaster safety as a systems problem, not a single-technology issue. - Park Hyung-bae said the ministry will actively support disaster-safety R&D and the expansion of its results.

What's next: - The ministry is likely to push broader adoption of the winning technologies across local governments and disaster-response sites. - The expo will continue through Sept. 4, giving companies and public agencies a chance to showcase and compare new safety technologies. - The ministry said it will keep backing disaster-safety R&D and efforts to scale successful outcomes.